Colleges AND career schools use the FAFSA form to determine how much financial aid you're eligible to receive, which could include scholarships, loans, grants, and work study programs.

You must apply for aid every year, but with the right information in hand, it's pretty easy.

This provides an estimate of how much federal student aid you may be eligible to receive. These estimates are based on the Student Aid Index (SAI), an index number used to determine federal student aid eligibility.

This helps you estimate montly student loan payments and choose a loan repayment option that best meets your needs and goals. You can also decide whether to consolidate your student loans.