Yes, you must apply for financial aid every year. Your financial aid is based on your family’s annual income.  If your financial circumstances change, you may get more or less aid. After your first year you will receive a "Renewal Application" which is a pre-populated FAFSA using information from the prior year. Things that affect your eligibility for financial aid are members in your family and the number of family members in college. Renewal of your financial aid package also depends on your satisfactory academic progress toward an approved program or educational goals.  Your satisfactory academic progress is based on the percentage of course completion, number of units earned, and a minimum 2.0 GPA.