FAFSA & Other Financial-Aid Applications

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is the free form used to apply for federal grants, work-study and student loans. States and colleges also use FAFSA information for their own aid. Completing it helps you find out what assistance you may receive; it does not commit you or your family to borrowing.

Choose the aid year and check deadlines

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Use StudentAid.gov’s FAFSA page to find the form for the year you will attend college. For example, a student beginning college in fall 2027 would use the 2027–28 FAFSA. If you start with a summer term, the college’s financial-aid office can identify which year’s form it needs.

Check when that form becomes available. Complete it before your earliest applicable school or state deadline. Some schools and states set a priority deadline for full consideration for their available aid. Missing it may mean losing access to limited funds. The federal filing deadline is usually later and should not be your planning target. Federal Student Aid’s deadline guide explains the difference.

Add the aid deadlines for colleges on your application list to your calendar. You complete one FAFSA for the aid year and list the schools that should receive it. You will need to submit a new FAFSA each year you want federal student aid.

Prepare accounts and financial information

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A contributor is someone required to provide information, consent and a signature on your FAFSA. This includes you and may include a parent or a parent’s spouse. The form’s questions state whose information is needed.

Most high-school seniors need parent information. FAFSA has its own dependency rules; living away from your parents or paying your own bills does not by itself remove that requirement. If it is unclear which parent should participate, use the official Who’s My FAFSA Parent? tool. This is especially helpful when parents are divorced, separated or remarried.

Each contributor uses their own StudentAid.gov account and signs their own section. A parent’s participation does not make that parent responsible for your college costs or student loans. Taking out a parent loan is a separate decision.

Before starting, gather the information the form requests.

Account and identity information. You and other contributors need your own accounts, contact information and required identity details. Use email addresses you will continue to access.
Tax and income records. Have the tax records for the year specified by the FAFSA available, even though much information can transfer from the IRS.
Financial records. Have current bank balances and any requested investment, child-support, business or farm information available. Follow the form’s directions about what to include.
College names. List schools you are considering, including ones where you have not yet been admitted.

The FAFSA preparation checklist explains these materials. A parent without a Social Security number can still participate; StudentAid.gov’s account guidance explains how. Use your own account and keep control of your password.

Complete and submit your FAFSA

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Start your student form, answer the questions about your circumstances and invite any required contributors. Each person completes the part assigned to them. Family members can work together on gathering records while keeping their accounts and signatures separate.

You and the other required contributors must provide consent and approval for federal tax information to be transferred from the IRS. This requirement also applies to someone who did not file a tax return. Without the required consent, you cannot receive federal student aid.

Review your answers and college list before signing. All required contributor sections, consent and signatures must be complete for the form to be submitted. Save the submission confirmation and check your form’s status in your StudentAid.gov account. The official student FAFSA instructions provide help with individual questions and screens.

Check other required aid applications

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On each college’s financial-aid page, look for additional forms and deadlines.

CSS Profile. Some colleges use this College Board application to award their own aid. It is separate from FAFSA and may request different family information. Start with the CSS Profile guide. Fees may apply, with fee waivers for eligible applicants.
State and college forms. A state grant, college scholarship or particular program may require its own application. Follow the official program’s instructions for your aid year.
Supporting documents. A college may request tax records or other information through its own secure system or a document service. Submit these through the route the college identifies.

For Wisconsin residents, the Higher Educational Aids Board explains state aid programs and their application requirements.

Review the result and follow up

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Once your form is processed, open the FAFSA Submission Summary. Review your answers, listed schools and any next steps. Its Student Aid Index, or SAI, is a number colleges use to determine aid eligibility. It is not your college bill or a promise of aid. Your actual aid offer comes from each college.

You can correct errors or add a school through your FAFSA account. If the college requests verification, it is asking for documents to confirm information. Send the requested records by its deadline so it can finish reviewing your aid.

If your family’s income has changed because of job loss or another major event, complete the form using the information it asks for, then contact the college’s financial-aid office about a review.

For a confusing form question or account problem, use the FAFSA Help Center. A school counselor or local college-access program may also help you work through the instructions.