The FAFSA - The Free Application for Federal Student Aid

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the form you need to fill out to get any financial aid from the federal government to help pay for college. Each year, over 13 million students who file the FAFSA get more than $120 billion in grants, work-study, and low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Education.

Lots of states and colleges also use the FAFSA to determine which students get financial aid—and how much they’ll get.

The FAFSA asks for information about you and your family’s finances, including tax returns, so you’ll need your parents’ help to complete it.

FAFSA Facts

• Submitting the FAFSA is the most important thing you can do if you want financial aid.

• The FAFSA is free—you don’t need to pay anyone to prepare it for you.

• You need to submit a new FAFSA before each academic year in which you want to get aid. If you plan to apply for aid throughout college, you’ll need to fill out the FAFSA each year.

• Be sure to use a permanent email address on the form, not your high school email, so you can use your FAFSA account throughout college.

• Completing the FAFSA is one of six steps you need to take to qualify for a $40,000 College Board Opportunity Scholarship.

• You qualify for a $1,000 College Board Opportunity Scholarship just by submitting your FAFSA.

Who Should Fill Out the FAFSA?

Anyone planning on going to college in the next academic year should fill out the FAFSA.

Here’s why:

• Each year, millions—sometimes billions—of dollars in federal aid is left on the table by students who didn’t file a FAFSA. It’s simple: If you don’t file, you won’t qualify for most financial aid.

• Your family doesn’t have to have a low income to qualify for assistance. Even if your family makes $200,000 a year, you could be eligible for aid.

• You automatically qualify for a low-interest federal loan when you submit a FAFSA. These loans are less expensive to pay back than many private student loans.

• Many work-study programs require the FAFSA.

• Some merit-based scholarships require the FAFSA to help them determine scholarship amounts.

the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile

The CSS Profile is an online application that collects information used by nearly 400 colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal aid. (For federal aid you must complete the FAFSA). You may complete the CSS Profile as early as Oct. 1st in your senior year. You should submit no later than two weeks before the EARLIEST priority filing date specified by your colleges. Not all colleges require the Profile (not even all private schools), Check your colleges’ information to determine whether they require the CSS Profile. A list of participating colleges is also found on the CSS Profile Homepage. 

Getting Started with the CSS Profile

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