Help & Frequently Asked Questions

Federal Student Aid is an office of the U.S. Department of Education. It is the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation, providing more than $120 billion in grants, loans, and work-study funds each year to help millions of students pay for college or career school.

Yes, absolutely. The application (FAFSA) is completely free. Be wary of websites that charge a fee to help you fill out your FAFSA — this is a free government service. Always use the official .gov website.

Federal deadlines are June 30 each year for that academic year. However, states and schools often have earlier deadlines — sometimes as early as January or February. Apply as early as possible to maximize your aid eligibility. Check your state's deadline page for specifics.

Yes. You must submit a new application each academic year. Your financial situation may change, and aid amounts are recalculated annually. Some information may be pre-filled from the previous year to make reapplication faster.

To receive federal student aid, you generally must have a valid Social Security Number (SSN). If you are an eligible non-citizen without an SSN, contact our counselors at 1-800-433-4636. Some state and institutional aid programs may be available to you even without an SSN.

Your Social Security Number is transmitted using 256-bit SSL encryption and is never stored in plain text in our systems. It is used solely for identity verification with the Social Security Administration and IRS. Our data handling practices comply fully with FERPA and federal privacy laws. Read our full Privacy Policy for details.

If you believe your SSN has been compromised, contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213. You should also consider placing a fraud alert with the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) and file a report at IdentityTheft.gov.

An FSA ID is a username and password that serves as your legal digital signature for federal student aid. You create it at studentaid.gov. You must use your own personal email address — parents should create a separate FSA ID. It takes 1–3 days for your FSA ID to be verified with the Social Security Administration.

Most students complete the application in 30–45 minutes. If you have your financial documents and SSN ready beforehand, it can take as little as 20 minutes. The IRS Data Retrieval Tool can automatically import your tax information to save time.

Yes. Your progress is saved in your browser session. However, for security purposes, the session will expire after 45 minutes of inactivity. We recommend completing the application in one sitting, but you can return and restart at any time — it only takes about 30 minutes.

After submission, you will receive a confirmation email. Within 3–5 business days, you'll receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) summarizing your application. Your school's financial aid office will then use this information to create an aid offer for you, typically within 2–4 weeks of your SAR being processed.

The Federal Pell Grant is a need-based grant for undergraduate students. Unlike loans, grants do NOT need to be repaid. The maximum award for 2024–2025 is $7,395 per year. The amount you receive depends on your financial need, enrollment status, and the cost of your school.

Subsidized Loans: Based on financial need. The government pays the interest while you're in school at least half-time. Unsubsidized Loans: Not based on need. Interest accrues during all periods, including while you're in school. Both have low fixed interest rates (5.50% for 2024–25 undergraduates) compared to private loans.

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