Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Hobart and William Smith is committed to a policy of admitting students on the basis of overall potential and to working with our students and families to ensure they are able to reach their educational goals.

HWS requires all U.S. citizens and permanent resident students who wish to apply for financial aid to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 

The HWS school code is 002731.

In order to complete the FAFSA, the student and one parent/guardian must have an FSA ID number that will serve as your electronic signature. Create Account | Federal Student Aid

Students who wish to receive a financial aid award before the FAFSA is available should fill out the CSS PROFILE application. We recommend that students who apply Early Decision fill out the CSS profile in order to ensure timely receipt of a financial aid award.

International Students should follow the applications instructions for the CSS Profile: International Applicants – CSS Profile | College Board.

Applications must be submitted at the time of your application for admission.

FAFSA FAQs

Will the Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) be available in early December to file the 2025-2026 FAFSA?
The Department of Education reports that in early December, students and parents will be able to fill out their FAFSAs for the 2025-2026 academic year with the help of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT).

What should parents know before filing their FAFSA?
The FAFSA asks for income and tax information from two tax years prior. That means on the 2025–2026 FAFSA, students and their parents will report their 2023 income and tax information. Using 2023 income information means students and parents don’t need to wait until their tax returns from the 2024 year are filed before applying—they can apply as early as December, give more time to consider options for paying for college.

In order to better protect financial aid applicants’ information, the Department of Education has announced the DRT will “limit the information that displays to the applicant in order to enhance the security and privacy of sensitive personal data transferred to the FAFSA from the IRS.” Sensitive data, such as adjusted gross income, will not be displayed to the applicants.

NASFAA has created a handy checklist of information and forms students and parents will want to have on-hand to help streamline the process of filling out the 2025-2026 FAFSA.

Mistakes can delay a student’s application and limit the amount of aid they may be eligible to receive. To avoid errors, parents and students should carefully read all the questions on the FAFSA. On NASFAA’s website, parents and students can review a list of the most common FAFSA errors so they know what to be on the lookout for.

What is an FSA ID?
The FSA ID, made up of a username and password, is used to confirm an applicant’s identity when they are accessing their financial aid information and electronically signing their federal student aid documents. While you are not required to have an FSA ID to complete and submit a FAFSA on the Web application, without an FSA ID you cannot sign the FAFSA online. Having an FSA ID is the fastest way to sign your application and have it processed. It is also the only way to access or correct your information online, or to pre-fill a FAFSA on the Web application with information from your previous year’s FAFSA. Parents and students who don’t already have an FSA ID can create one now. Create Account | Federal Student Aid

New York State (NYS) Student Aid Payment Application

New York State residents with a NYS net taxable family income of $80,000 or less may qualify for a Tuition Assistance Program grant ranging from $500 – $5,665. All NYS residents listing a NYS school on the FAFSA have two ways to apply for TAP.

1. If you file your FAFSA on the web you will be prompted to complete your TAP application online at the same time. We encourage you to do so to expedite the entire application process. OR
2. If you file the FAFSA electronically and forget to complete the TAP portion, you must go online 3-5 business days later to complete your application. The NYS Aid Payment Application is located here: NYS Student Aid Payment Application

An estimate of your TAP eligibility will be included in the offer of financial assistance from Hobart and William Smith. NYS Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) will send a copy of the award certificate via email, if an email address is provided, once the NYS budget is passed for the following year.

DATES AND DEADLINES

Early December

• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online registration begins
• HWS recommends students interested in need-based financial aid submit their FASFA application quickly after it becomes available.