Kategori: Scholarship

Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, which opened Nov. 18 to all applicants, is one of the most important steps students and their families can take to pay for college. Many states now require completion of the FAFSA as a requirement for high school graduation.

The U.S. Department of Education provided about $114.1 billion in federal grants, loans and work-study funds in fiscal year 2023, according to the latest annual Federal Student Aid Report. The federal funds helped more than 9.7 million students complete their education, according to the unaudited report. Federal financial aid can be borrowed, earned through work-study or awarded — for example, as a grant. Here are answers to common questions about the FAFSA.

What’s the FAFSA?

“The FAFSA is the gateway to all federal financial aid for students,” said Michele Shepard Zampini, senior director of college affordability at The Institute for College Access and Success. “All grant programs — including the Pell Grant — and all student loan programs go through the FAFSA. So without filing it, you’re not eligible for any aid.” States and many colleges also use the FAFSA to select their own aid.

A common misconception about the FAFSA is that families think they won’t qualify for any financial aid, experts say. “People say, ‘I make too much money, I’m never going to qualify,'” says Johnnie Johnson, vice president of enrollment management at Washington College in Maryland. “You don’t know unless you fill it out. The good thing about the FAFSA is that it’s free, so there’s no harm in filling it out. Just fill it out no matter what.”

How to Apply for Financial Aid Through the FAFSA

Families can fill out the FAFSA application online using a computer, phone or tablet. The Federal Student Aid website is mobile-responsive, so the page should fit any screen size and shape of the device.

Gather Your FAFSA Documents

There is a list of documents required to complete the FAFSA. Families will need a Social Security number (if applicable), driver’s license number or state ID number, alien registration number for non-U.S. citizens, tax information, records of untaxed income, recent bank statements and net worth of investments, farms and businesses – if applicable – and a list of schools the student plans to attend.

Create an FSA ID

The first step before completing the FAFSA is to create an FSA ID, which serves as an electronic signature and is used to create a StudentAid.gov account. All contributors—parents, stepparents, spouses, or anyone else required to provide information on a student’s form—must create an FSA ID.

Parents and students can find a link to obtain an FSA ID through the Federal Student Aid website. To create a unique ID, applicants will need their Social Security number (if applicable), email address, date of birth, and name as it appears on official documents.

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Enter Student and Parent Information

To apply for financial aid through the FAFSA, families must enter information about their citizenship and marital status, legal residency, and Social Security number, if applicable.

Applicants must also list at least one school to which they are applying or have applied so that schools can receive their information. Students can list up to 20 institutions on the online form or up to 10 on the printed version. After submitting the form, students can still remove or add colleges to their list.

Enter Financial Information

The FAFSA uses tax information from what is known as the “prior year” – a verified federal tax return from two years ago. A family completing the FAFSA for the 2025-2026 school year will want to use their 2023 tax return. Using a verified tax return from a previous year eliminates the need to use estimates on the form.

Review and Submit Your FAFSA

When completing the FAFSA, the student and parent, if the applicant is filing as a dependent, are required to sign the form – either digitally using their FSA ID or by hand on a paper version.