The good news is that help is out there, and one of the biggest ways to get help is by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), for short. This is the application the federal government uses to decide how much financial aid a student is eligible to receive.
Many states, colleges and scholarship programs also rely on it to allocate their own aid. The FAFSA provides billions of dollars in federal student aid to students and families each year to make college more affordable.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid
The FAFSA is not just a form, it’s a kite string that can lead to out-of-reach cash to help pay for that college education, whether in the form of grants, work opportunities, and, yes, student loans. It is combination of facts about the income of the student and the family, assets owned by the family and the student along with other financial details.
Schools then use that number to build a financial aid package. Filing the FAFSA on time is extremely important since some aid is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. An early start can boost your chances of getting the greatest amount of aid.
Eligibility Criteria for FAFSA
- Individuals must be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.
- Have an eligible Social Security number.
- Be currently enrolled or accepted at an eligible college or career school.
- Satisfactorily progress in school as determined by the child’s school.
- Individuals who are male applicants might be required to register with the Selective Service.
How FAFSA Works in 2025
It is 2025, and the FAFSA is a kinder, simpler form. The form is available to be filled in online, by mobile app or on paper by mail. The online and app alternatives are the fastest, and the most popular ones. The application is usually ready around October 1st every year — for the academic year after next. But as of 2024–25, tweaks to the form have caused some delays, so check in with the official FAFSA1 website. Students are only able to do these 20 colleges at a time when they are signing up to get financial aid information. Once that’s submitted, they get back a Student Aid Report (SAR) showing that data, along with the estimated aid.
Who Should fill out the FAFSA
Don’t be deceived by the word aid, many students are eligible for federal financial aid, from low-interest student loans to a work-study job, even if they do not qualify for a grant or scholarship. This is why many people wrongly conclude that they make too much money to qualify for aid, but in reality financial aid is granted based on many factors that go beyond a family’s income. For example, family size, the number of children in college and assets all come into play. And some students who don’t qualify for a grant may still receive loans or work-study offers. Some scholarships or state scholarship programs will also require that you have completed a FAFSA, so if you have not filled one out, you may also be leaving money on the table.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
While the FAFSA has been simplified to some extent more recently, there are still some mistakes that are often overlooked or easily confused that can stall or slash a student’s financial aid.
The biggest error is missing the deadline. Filing deadlines for financial aid are set by individual states and colleges, and failing to meet them may result in a loss of certain types of aid. One is by not using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, which populates the form with tax information and reduces the likelihood of errors. A small amount of applicants don’t sign or fill out their social security number correctly. Make sure all details are checked before the form is sent to avoid delays.
FAFSA and Changing Family Situations
There are also times when a family’s facts have changed since they filed the FAFSA. That could be a job loss or a divorce (or both), a pile of unexpected medical bills or something else. Students in such cases can reach the financial aid office of their school and report what happened. Most colleges have their own process for making special adjustments, known as a professional judgment. That could result in more aid, even if the initial FAFSA indicates little aid is likely to be awarded. If the numbers look very different on the application than they do when it comes to your family circumstances, it’s better to call the school’s financial aid office instead of just waiting to see if you will receive any aid.
It’s fussy and time consuming, but worth every sacrifice of time. Whether it’s grants and work-study for financial assistance or loans and scholarships to promote saving money, FAFSA is the gateway to all types of financial aid.
FAQs
Is FAFSA only for poor families?
No, FAFSA take many factors into account besides income. A lot of families qualify for help even if they don’t consider themselves low-income.
Do individuals need to reapply for the FAFSA every year?
Yes, you must file the FAFSA for each award year to continue receiving aid for the entire time you are attending school.
Can FAFSA be adjusted after it is submitted?
Yes, if there were errors or if there has been a change, the FAFSA can be corrected online by logging back into the account.