Complete the FAFSA free at StudentAid.gov as soon as it opens for the academic year you will attend. Create StudentAid.gov accounts for yourself and any contributor (such as parents for dependent students), consent to the IRS data transfer, list the colleges you are considering, and submit before the earliest state and college deadlines. There is no income cut-off, and many state grants are first-come, first-served.
How it works
The short version, before the detail.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid collects information about the student and, for dependent students, their parents, to calculate a Student Aid Index (SAI). Colleges use the SAI to determine need-based aid. The form was overhauled in recent years: it has fewer questions, pulls tax data directly from the IRS with consent, and expanded Pell Grant eligibility for many families.
Students under 24 are generally considered dependent unless they meet an independence criterion - married, a veteran, a graduate student, an orphan or ward of the court, homeless or at risk of homelessness, supporting their own children, among others. Students in difficult family situations can ask the financial aid office for a dependency override.
Aid comes in layers. Pell Grants are federal grants that do not need repaying. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants add more for students with exceptional need at participating schools. Federal Work-Study funds part-time jobs. Federal student loans are available regardless of need. States and colleges use the FAFSA to award their own grants and scholarships, often with early deadlines.
The FAFSA usually opens in the autumn before the academic year. Federal deadlines are generous, but state and college deadlines are earlier and some state grants run out, so filing early matters.
If your family's financial situation has changed - job loss, death, medical bills - contact the financial aid office about professional judgement, which can adjust your aid.
Contributors are anyone whose information is required on your FAFSA - for a dependent student, usually one or both parents, and for a married independent student, a spouse. Each contributor needs their own StudentAid.gov account and must give consent for the IRS to transfer their tax information directly. If a contributor refuses consent, the student cannot receive federal aid, so arrange this early. Parents without a Social Security number can still create an account through an identity verification process.
After you submit, you receive a FAFSA Submission Summary showing your Student Aid Index and information you reported. Colleges you listed receive your data and send aid offers. Some applications are selected for verification, which means your school will ask for documents to confirm what you reported; until verification is complete, aid cannot be paid. Respond quickly to any request.
Who usually qualifies
Factors the agency looks at. Only they make the final decision.
Students with parents who lack Social Security numbers can still complete the FAFSA; parents create an account through the identity verification process.
How to apply, step by step
Create StudentAid.gov accounts
For the student and each contributor.
Gather information
Tax information from two years prior, assets, school list.
Fill out the FAFSA online
At StudentAid.gov.
Consent to IRS data transfer
Required for contributors.
List colleges
Up to the allowed number.
Submit early
Before state and college deadlines.
Review your FAFSA Submission Summary
Correct errors; respond to verification.
What to have ready
Missing one item is rarely a reason to wait - start now.
- StudentAid.gov account (FSA ID)
- Social Security numbers
- Tax returns or info from two years prior
- Records of untaxed income
- Asset information
- List of colleges
What happens after you apply
How it compares
Similar programmes, and which one fits which need.
| Programme | What it covers | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| FAFSA aid | Grants, work-study, loans for college | Anyone going to college |
| Pell Grant | Federal grant, no repayment | Students with financial need |
| State grants | State aid, often first-come | Residents filing early |
| Scholarships | Private and college awards | Merit or need |
Real situations
How this plays out for people in common circumstances.
Family thinks income too high
A middle-income family skips the FAFSA.
They file and qualify for state and college grants.
Homeless student
A 19-year-old is homeless.
She files as independent with a liaison's determination.
Parent lost job
A parent's income dropped.
Professional judgement adjusts aid.
Adult returning to college
A 35-year-old returns.
Independent student, qualifies for Pell.
First-generation student, parents unsure
A student's parents have never filled out financial forms and are nervous about sharing tax data.
A free FAFSA completion event at her high school helps the family create accounts and give consent, and she qualifies for a full Pell Grant and a state grant.
What people miss
True, rarely explained, and it changes the outcome.
No income cut-off
Always file.
State aid runs out
File early.
Professional judgement
For changes.
Independent status options
Homeless, veterans.
It's free
Never pay.
Common reasons people get stuck
Missing state deadlines
Earlier than federal.
Paying to file
Free.
Not listing schools
They won't get data.
Ignoring verification
Aid delayed.
Not refiling yearly
Required.
How it differs by state
States set their own grant programmes and deadlines tied to the FAFSA; some have alternative applications for undocumented students.
Key terms explained
The words on forms and letters, in plain English.
- FAFSA
- The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, used for federal, most state and many college aid programmes.
- Contributor
- Anyone required to provide information on your FAFSA, such as a parent or spouse. Each needs a StudentAid.gov account.
- Student Aid Index (SAI)
- The number calculated from your FAFSA that colleges use to determine need-based aid. It replaced the Expected Family Contribution.
- Dependency status
- Whether you must report parent information. Students under 24 are usually dependent unless they meet an independence criterion.
- Verification
- A process where your college asks for documents to confirm FAFSA information before paying aid.
- Professional judgement
- A financial aid administrator's authority to adjust your aid for special circumstances such as job loss.
Questions people ask
How do I fill out the FAFSA?
When is the FAFSA deadline?
Is there an income limit for FAFSA?
Do I have to repay a Pell Grant?
Can I file the FAFSA if my parents are undocumented?
What is the Student Aid Index?
Do I need to file the FAFSA every year?
What if my family income changed?
Who counts as a parent on the FAFSA?
Can I file the FAFSA without my parents?
Do I need to file taxes to fill out the FAFSA?
Does owning a home affect the FAFSA?
How do I add or change colleges on my FAFSA?
What if my FAFSA is selected for verification?
Do I have to fill out the FAFSA for graduate school?
What if my family's finances changed after I filed the FAFSA?
Numbers to call
Free lines. We are not affiliated with any of them.
Official sources
Current figures and applications live here.