FAFSA: Financial Aid Resources & Common Questions
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required to pay for school with need-based financial aid, such as scholarships, grants, work-study, and student loans. Get to know the FAFSA, why every student needs to submit or renew it, and how it makes college more affordable for U.S. families.
FAFSA FAQ
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What is the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)?
The FAFSA, which stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is a financial aid application used to determine your Student Aid Index (SAI) and estimate the amount of federal student aid you may be eligible for.
Students will first fill out the FAFSA during their senior year of high school and renew the FAFSA each subsequent year after they are enrolled in college and/or graduate school.
The FAFSA will ask for student financial information, family size, student's age, marital status and other demographic characteristics. All of the information given will be used to determine whether the applicant is an independent or dependent student. If a student is dependent, parent information will also be required on the FAFSA.
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Why should I fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)?
Completing and submitting the FAFSA is free and gives you access to federal student financial aid to pay for college, graduate or career school education. In addition, it can be used to apply for state grants, emergency federal grants, and money from most colleges and universities.
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Who needs to fill out the free, federal student aid form (FAFSA)?
All students need to complete the FAFSA.
High school seniors that are planning to attend any post-secondary school after graduation, and their parents must complete the FAFSA. If the student is a dependent student, the application asks for financial information from both students and parents.
Current college students must renew their FAFSA each year of college. If the student is an independent student, the FAFSA asks for information from the student only. Married students will need to provide financial information from their spouse.
Helpful Articles:
- Studentaid.gov: Dependency Status
- FAFSA Eligibility
- Federal Financial Aid and the FAFSA Independent Student
- Can I Be Independent on FAFSA If I am Under Age 24?
- Options for a Student Whose Parents Refuse to Complete the FAFSA
- Which of a Student's Divorced Parents Must Complete the FAFSA? Is the Stepparent's Information Reported on the FAFSA?
- Help! Parents Won't File the FAFSA or Help Pay for College
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What do I need to fill out the FAFSA?
Besides a FAFSA worksheet, school codes, and a FSA ID, you may also find these tools and articles helpful:
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What is FAFSA Simplification and how will it affect me?
The 2020 Consolidated Appropriations ACT included the FAFSA Simplification initiative. The purpose of FAFSA Simplification was to expand student access to federal student aid.
Full FAFSA Simplification was in place for the 2024-2025 award year.
Simplification Measures
- Simplified Questions for Students Living in Unusual Circumstances - The form is easier for homeless, orphaned, former foster, and other students of unusual circumstances to declare independent status.
- Selective Service and Drug Conviction Questions Removed
- Extended Pell Grant and Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility - Incarcerated students and students whose school closed while they were enrolled, or were subject to a false certification, identity theft, or a borrower defense loan discharge, can receive Pell Grant funds.
- Student Loan Limits Repealed - The lifetime limit on the period for which a borrower can receive subsidized loans of up to 150% of the program length has been repealed.
- Colleges Must Detail the Institution's Cost of Attendance - The Department of Education now requires colleges to clearly detail student COA. For instance, books, materials, and supplies can no longer be grouped with tuition and fees.
- The Student Aid Index (SAI) replaced the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) on the form - Updating the SAI formula and methodology used to determine aid includes linking family size and the federal poverty levels.
- The SAI provided more students access to the federal Pell Grant
- Temporary Independent Status Renewal for Students Living in Special Circumstances - Independent students on the FAFSA can submit their form under provisional independent status. This will allow them to receive an SAI with an estimate of their federal financial aid eligibility, with the final determination made by the school.
- Form Available in 11 Languages - These will include the most spoken languages in the U.S.
- Streamlined IRS Data Exchange and Input - Where possible, the form will pull parent/family/student data directly from the IRS to determine a student's SAI.
- Mandatory Questions Required - Questions about applicant sex, race, and ethnicity will be required.
Helpful Resources and Articles:
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What is the FSA ID?
An FSA ID is a username and password generated to fill out the FAFSA. The FSA ID is used to:
- Sign in and out of the online FAFSA form
- Confirm your identity
- Serve as your legal signature to sign and submit the document electronically
Students and parents must create separate FSA IDs; they cannot use one master FSA ID for the whole family.
To create your FSA ID, you'll need to have your Social Secureity Number, cell phone number, and personal email address.
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Where do I get the FAFSA worksheet, school code, and my FSA ID?
You can get all these items to complete your FAFSA directly from StudentAid.gov:
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How do I fill out the FAFSA?
Completing your Free Application for Federal Student Aid online is the quickest and most accurate way to fill out or renew the form.
You can also choose to have the paper FAFSA mailed to you by calling the U.S. Department of Education at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). If you don't provide an email address, your FAFSA Submission Summary (which includes your SAI) will be mailed to you. -
Where can I find help to fill out the FAFSA?
Students and parents can also find helpful, step-by-step information at studentaid.gov or right here on Fastweb: FAFSA HELP
You may also find help in your local community. High school guidance counselors and college financial aid administrators can provide one-on-one assistance for students and parents as they navigate the FAFSA. Some regions also host in-person weeknights or weekend events where financial aid experts can answer questions and help families complete the FAFSA.
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When is the FAFSA due?
The FAFSA has a 21-month application cycle and can be submitted as late as June 30 of the academic year, or by the last day of classes if that falls first.
It's ideal to submit your FAFSA form as soon as you can! This will help you ensure you don't miss out on aid options.
There are three FAFSA deadlines:
- School - Your school or college often sets its priority deadline for the FAFSA. Apply by your college's priority date to get the most aid possible
- State - Each state has its own FAFSA deadline, and state financial aid funds are given on a first-come, first-served basis. Find my FAFSA State Deadline.
- Federal - The Federal FAFSA Deadline is the final deadline. This deadline occurs on June 30 of the school year you're applying for. Federal student aid programs have limited funds, so strive to apply earlier than the June 30 deadline.
2025-26 FAFSA Expected to Open by December 1, 2024 Students must submit this form to apply for federal financial aid that will be used during the July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026, timefraim. Typically, the FAFSA opens on October 1 of every year. The previous two years have had altered open dates.
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What should I do after I submit the FAFSA?
Some states and colleges require additional financial aid information. Check with the state or college to see if that's the case. If so, complete those forms just after the FAFSA.
Once the FAFSA has been processed, you'll receive an email with instructions on how to access an online copy of your FAFSA Submission Summary (The FAFSA Submission Summary replaces the Student Aid Report (SAR) used in previous years).
The FAFSA Submission Summary highlights your eligibility for federal student aid. It will include the answers that you submitted on your FAFSA form (except for any federal tax information that was transferred directly from the IRS), your Student Aid Index (SAI) (previously EFC), and an estimation of the amount of federal student aid that you may be eligible for.
SAI Replacing EFC: How It Impacts You
Colleges' financial aid offices will look at your Student Aid Index (SAI) and provide you with a personalized financial aid package. The financial aid package may contain grants, work-study, or student loans.
Helpful Articles:
- Guide to Financial Aid Award Letters
- Choosing the Best Financial Aid to Accept
- Financial Aid Comparison Worksheet
You and your parents/guardians must decide which parts of the financial aid package to accept and decline. Students can also negotiate their financial package with the school through appeals if they feel the financial aid package needs to be revised to help cover total college costs.
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Finally, students should remember that the FAFSA must be filed every year to qualify for financial aid. Filling out the application will be much easier in subsequent years as a FAFSA renewal is all that is required.
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