Federal Student Aid (2024)

FAQs

Is federal student aid the same as FAFSA? ›

Thousands of schools across the country participate in the federal student aid programs; ask the schools you're interested in whether they do! Apply for federal student aid—grants, work-study, and loans—using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®) form.

The 2024–25 FAFSA form is now available. We've started sending submitted applications to colleges and states.

To see your aid, log in to your StudentAid.gov account using your account username and password (FSA ID). Learn more about possible reasons why your StudentAid.gov account is missing loan or grant info.

You can use student loans to pay for a college's cost of attendance, and the cost of attendance includes transportation, so can you use student loans to buy a car? You cannot use student loans to buy a car. If you live off campus, having a car may be a necessity, but the college doesn't require it.

It is not the financial aid itself. However, the FAFSA enables the student to qualify for many types of financial aid from several sources. Some of this money is free money, some must be earned through work, and some must be repaid. There are three main types of financial aid.

There is no set income limit for eligibility to qualify for financial aid through. You'll need to fill out the FAFSA every year to see what you qualify for at your college. It's important to make sure you fill out the FAFSA as quickly as possible once it opens for the following school year.

The average federal grant award for undergraduate students has more than doubled to $8,890 in 2022 from $4,335 in 2001. Student aid estimates for 2022-2023 show that average federal grant aid has increased to $10,677.

Our general eligibility requirements include that you have financial need for need-based aid, are a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen, and are enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program at an eligible college or career/trade school.

Some states and colleges continue to award aid to FAFSA latecomers, but your chances get much slimmer, and the payout is often lower. If you miss the end-of-June federal deadline, you're no longer eligible to submit that year's FAFSA form. Did we mention you shouldn't miss the deadlines?

Is FAFSA first come first serve? ›

However, some of the available money is handed out on a first come, first serve basis. So, it's a good idea to file your application sooner than later to help pay for your education. A new, updated version of the FAFSA was recently launched for the 2024-2025 academic year. Here's how the form works.

Your response to the marital status question, as well as your tax filing status in the next section, will determine whether additional contributors are needed. If you're married, divorced, separated, or remarried, your child's other parent and/or your current spouse may need to participate on your child's FAFSA form.

Once your FAFSA form or correction has been processed, you can get a copy of your SAR by logging in to fafsa.gov using your FSA ID and selecting the “View SAR” option near the middle of the “My FAFSA” page.

If you're an undergraduate, the maximum combined amount of Direct Subsidized and Direct Unsubsidized Loans you can borrow each academic year is between $5,500 and $12,500, depending on your year in school and your dependency status.

After you submit your FAFSA form online, you can check its status immediately by going to fafsa.gov and logging in with your FSA ID (account username and password). (Note: Only the student can check the status.)

You don't have to begin repaying your federal student loans until after you leave college or drop below half-time. If you demonstrate financial need, the government pays the interest on some loan types while you are in school and during some periods after school.

Our general eligibility requirements include that you have financial need for need-based aid, are a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen, and are enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program at an eligible college or career/trade school.

The Pell Grant is the largest federal grant program offered to undergraduates. Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form every year you're in school to stay eligible for federal student aid.

Financial aid is typically awarded based on financial need, while scholarships are awarded based on merit or achievement. This means that students from low-income families are more likely to qualify for financial aid.