Financial aid

FAFSA for Beginners

The FAFSA is the free federal application for student aid. Filing it is how you get considered for federal grants, work-study, and most state and college aid. It is free — anyone charging you to file it is a red flag.

What you need

• Student and parent account (a parent without a Social Security number can still participate).
• Social Security numbers or taxpayer IDs if you have them.
• Tax return information, bank balances, and asset totals.
• List of colleges you are applying to.

When to file

It opens in the fall for the following academic year. File as early as you can: some state and campus funds are first-come, first-served.

What happens after

Colleges use your Student Aid Index to build an aid offer. You can compare offers and appeal if family circumstances changed.

Common mistakes

1. Leaving colleges off the list — you can add them later, but late adds miss early deadlines.
2. Skipping it because you think you earn too much. Many families qualify for something.
3. Missing your state's deadline, which is often earlier than the federal one.

Need-based scholarships usually require the FAFSA too. Pair your aid plan with a scholarship search →

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