File Your FAFSA

The FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is a form used to apply for federal student aid and other types of financial aid. Colleges and the federal government use it to figure out how much you and your family can pay for college. The government uses it to determine your eligibility for grants, work-study programs, and loans. Colleges use the FAFSA to determine if you’re eligible for their own aid. And private scholarships are often awarded using the FAFSA. If you don’t file, you may not be eligible for school aid or federal aid.

When do I file?

You need to file a FAFSA when you first apply to college and each year that you’re in college. This year only, the FAFSA is opening late. The 2024-25 FAFSA is scheduled to open sometime in December. Colleges have their own deadlines for receiving the FAFSA and making financial aid decisions, so make sure you keep track. (Don’t worry — colleges know that the 2024-25 FAFSA is opening late!) Deadlines can change depending on how you apply (early decision, early action, or regular or rolling admission). As a general rule of thumb, the earlier you submit the FAFSA, the better. This will help ensure you don’t miss out on any available aid. Keep track of deadlines with a chart like the one below:

What is it?

Your studentaid.gov account is the username and password you’ll use to confirm your identity before completing the FAFSA and electronically sign your federal student documents.

How do I get one?

Create your account at studentaid.gov. Once you have your account set up, you can start the FAFSA, save your progress, and log in and out.

Tips for Your Studentaid.gov Account

• Your studentaid.gov must be verified before you can complete your FAFSA. This process can take 3-5 days.
• Students and “contributors” must each create their own studentaid.gov account. A contributor is anyone who has to include personal and financial information on the FAFSA, generally your parents (see chart below). The student and their contributors can set up a studentaid.gov account now, even though the 2024-25 FAFSA is not yet open.
• Students and their contributors cannot use the same email address or cell phone number to set up their studentaid.gov accounts.
• Use your personal email: Don’t use your high school email address. Once you graduate, that account will be deactivated, and you won’t able to access it. The email address you use in the student information section of the FAFSA is where you’ll get all FAFSA-related information.
• Use your Social Security card: Be sure to enter your name and Social Security number exactly as they appear on your Social Security card. The same is true for your contributors. Don’t use nicknames or incomplete names.
• Keep your email and phone handy: You’ll need to verify your email address and cell phone number while you create a studentaid.gov account.
• Keep track of your account information: Keep your usernames and passwords in a safe place. You’ll need them each time you access your FAFSA or the federal aid website.
• Student Aid Account FAQs: Review our Studentaid.gov Accounts Flyer for Frequently Asked Questions about Student Aid Accounts.

A life event or huge expense can derail your ability to pay for college. Loss of a job, divorce, a death in the family, or a giant medical bill are just a few possible scenarios. But unfortunately, there’s nowhere to include this information on the FAFSA.

You can, however, ask schools to consider your special circumstances. Check the financial aid webpage for each school you’re applying to and look for a special circumstances form and more detailed instructions. Fill out this form, or send a letter to the financial aid office. Be as detailed as possible, including dollar amounts for the items you’re detailing. If your school requires the CSS Profile (see below for details), the form includes a box to enter special circumstances.

Verification is a process that colleges use to identify and correct any issues on a student’s FAFSA. Think of it like quality control. About 30% of students are chosen randomly for verification. In other cases a FAFSA may need to be double-checked for accuracy. And some schools verify all students’ FAFSA forms. If it happens, don’t assume you’re being accused of doing something wrong! All you need to do is provide the information your school asks for, meet the deadline, and keep an eye on your email, or you may not qualify for any aid. You’ve got this! Check studentaid.gov for more on verification.

• If you’re asked to verify household/family information, complete the Dependency Verification worksheet the school will send you. Be sure to provide any other documentation they ask for. Ask the financial aid office to clarify what they want and how to send it (upload to a site, emailed, etc.)

What is it?

Your Student Aid Index (SAI) is the number that is calculated from your FAFSA. It has replaced the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC). Colleges use your SAI to decide how much financial aid you qualify for. When you file your FAFSA, you’ll receive your SAI on the confirmation page. Since you need to complete the FAFSA every year, you’ll also receive an updated SAI each year.

Your SAI is not the amount of financial aid you’ll receive, or the amount you’ll pay for college. Colleges subtract your SAI from the total cost of attending school to determine how much aid you’re eligible for.

How does SAI affect federal aid?

The federal government changed the formula they use to determine federal financial aid starting in the 2023-2024 school year. SAI replaced “Expected Family Contribution (EFC).” SAI is used to decide if you qualify for all types of federal student aid, including federal loans and work-study programs. The lower your SAI, the more need-based aid you may qualify to receive.

Schools will use this formula to decide if you have financial need:

Cost of Attendance (COA) – Student Aid Index (SAI) = Financial Need

The amount of federal aid you’re offered can’t be greater than the cost of attendance. In other words, you can’t make a profit off of federal aid!

Cost of Attendance (COA)

The cost of attendance (COA) is the cost to attend a school for one year. The COA includes both your direct costs and indirect costs.

Direct costs are due directly to the college, and include:

• Tuition
• Fees
• Room and board

Indirect costs are expenses that you need to cover on top of direct college expense, such as:

• Books and supplies
• Travel expenses
• Lab fees
• Health insurance (if you’re not insured through a parent)
• Study abroad fees
• Personal expenses

Are you wondering how your citizenship status will affect your FAFSA? If you or your parents are undocumented or are not U.S. citizens, you may not be eligible for some aid. But your legal status doesn’t have to stop you from going to college. Check out our Address Obstacles page for more on applying to college.

1. I’m an undocumented or DACA student. Am I eligible for federal student aid? No. Undocumented students, including DACA students, are not eligible for federal student aid. However, you may qualify for aid from your college. And there are many private scholarships designed for undocumented students.

2. Do I need a Social Security Number (SSN) to complete the FAFSA? No. A student with an alien registration may be considered an eligible noncitizen and can use that number to apply for a studentaid.gov account.

3. Does my parents’ citizenship status affect my eligibility for federal student aid? No. Your parents’ citizenship status has no effect on your eligibility for federal student aid. In fact, the FAFSA doesn’t ask about your parents’ status.

4. Do my parents need SSNs in order for me to complete the FAFSA? No. Since your parents’ citizenship doesn’t affect your ability to complete the FAFSA form, they don’t need SSNs. If your parents don’t have SSNs, they must enter 000-00-0000 when the FAFSA form asks for their SSNs. If your parents don’t have SSNs, they won’t be able to create studentaid.gov accounts. This means they won’t be able to sign your FAFSA form electronically. They will need to sign and mail a paper FAFSA form. *Note: the Department of Education is creating a process for parents to create a studentaid.gov account even if they do not have an SSN, alien registration number, or EIN (tax ID). However, this process will not be available until later in 2024.

The CSS Profile is another online financial aid form. Roughly 240 colleges and scholarship programs require the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA. Here’s what you need to know:

• The CSS Profile helps colleges gather more information to help them award grants and scholarships.
• Unlike the FAFSA , the CSS Profile is not free. It costs $25 to register and send results to one school, and $16 for each additional school. If you meet certain criteria, your fees might be waived.
• See the schools that require the CSS Profile and register for it at cssprofile.collegeboard.org