June 16, 2008 by Mara Strom

If you need financial aid for the 2008-2009 school year, then heads up: You've got two weeks from today to complete your FAFSA.

FAFSA stands for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and it tells you and your school how much — and what kind of — federal financial aid you're eligible for. Plus, a lot of private scholarships that include "financial need" as one of their eligibility requirements will want to see it, too.

The FAFSA can be completed on-line and the filing deadline for next year is midnight Central Daylight time on June 30. If you're looking for tips on filing out your FAFSA, we posted some great ones here.

You'll also want to check out the FAFSA site for a list of all the documents you need to complete your application. And here's where you get a PIN so you can file online (you'll use the PIN in lieu of your signature.)

Even though the federal FAFSA deadline is June 30th, most states — and many private schools — have earlier filing deadlines. But if you're planning to attend school in Arizona, Washington, D.C., or South Carolina, they also have a June 30th deadline.