Each year, the U.S. Department of Education awards more than $120 billion in federal grants and loans and work-study awards to millions of college students who fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Federal student financial aid is an integral part of paying for college, and applying for financial aid will take preparation, time and organization. The FAFSA process can be simplified if you know your deadlines and have all your required FAFSA documents in order. Remember: the first F in "FAFSA" stands for "free" - you should never pay to fill out the FAFSA form.
The federal government offers a variety of financial aid programs to help cover college expenses such as tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation. The three types of federal student aid include:
Grants - financial aid that does not have to be repaid (unless, for example, you withdraw from school and owe a refund).
Work-study - a work program through which you earn money to help you pay for school.
Student Loans - borrowed money for college or career school where you must repay your loans, with interest.
FAFSA Basic Eligibility Criteria
For a full list of FAFSA basic eligibilty requirements, click here. Even if you are not eligible for federal student aid, you may qualify for financial aid from your state. For more information on financial aid from your state government, contact your state grant agency here.
FAFSA Application
The easiest and quickest way to file your FAFSA is by filling out the application online. By filling out the FAFSA online, you can automatically transfer your income information from tax returns to the FAFSA form via the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. If you wish to file your FAFSA by mail, you can either print, fill out, and mail in a FAFSA PDF paper copy or request a paper FAFSA by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or 334-523-2691.
Students have until by 11:59 p.m. Central time (CT) on June 30, 2020 to submit their FAFSA online. Any corrections or updates must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on Sept. 12, 2020.
2020-2021 FAFSA Deadlines
Students have until 11:59 p.m. Central time (CT) on June 30, 2021 to submit their FAFSA online. Any corrections or updates must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on Sept. 11, 2021.
Scholarships and federal work-study financial aid are doled to students who apply the earliest, as some states and schools have limited funds. Remember, you only have to file a FAFSA once to be eligible for all types of financial aid: federal, state and institutional financial aid. For more information on FAFSA deadlines, click here.
Additional Help Resources
For more assistance in searching and applying for federal financial aid, visit the Department of Education's website. The U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid office offers publications, fact sheets, online tools, and other resources to help students prepare and pay for college or career school. Topics that are covered include information on college preparation and federal student aid programs, FAFSA information, loan information, consumer protection and financial literacy, webinars, and more. On request, publications and fact sheets are available in alternate formats, such as Braille. For more information on additional resources, please contact the Department of Education.
Additionally, your high school's college counselor and college's financial aid office can also answer any questions you may have. Lastly, check to see if your high school offers free workshops on completing the FAFSA and applying for federal student financial aid.
Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC)
The Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) provides the following help services:
Helps complete/modify your online FAFSA
Helps complete/modify your paper FAFSA
Answers questions about your FAFSA PIN
Checks the status of your FAFSA
Mails a duplicate SAR
Changes your paper address and e-mail address
Changes the schools listed on your application
Explains the SAR and how to make corrections
Checks whether a school participates in federal student aid programs
Explains if you are eligible for federal student aid
Explains how federal student aid is awarded and paid
Explains the verification process
The FSAIC does not do the following:
Make policies
Expedite the federal student aid application process
Discuss your federal student aid file with unauthorized persons
ACT, Inc., the college admissions testing company, has agreed to pay out $16 million to 65,728 California students with disabilities to settle a class-action lawsuit. The class-action federal lawsuit filed in California in 2018 alleged that ACT, Inc. violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and California's Unruh Civil Rights Act by disclosing test-takers' disability status to colleges and scholarship organizations on score reports, and denied certain examinees with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in its Educational Opportunity Service. [...]
In response to the coronavirus pandemic and the way it has made it harder than ever to take the SAT and ACT, many colleges and universities, from large state universities to small liberal arts colleges, have announced that their admissions for next year’s Class of 2025 will be test-optional. Test-optional admissions mean that schools won’t require a submission of a standardized test score as part of the admissions process. But how will admissions officials judge applicants without a score? Will a student who doesn’t submit a standardized test score be penalized in any way? And will a student who does submit a score be chosen over one who doesn’t? [...]
Getting a college degree is part of the American Dream. College graduates generally earn more money and have a better quality of life. So it’s not surprising that students from immigrant families or who are immigrants themselves are making up an increasingly larger percentage of associate’s, bachelors and masters-seeking students in America. [...]
