What is FAFSA
FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It’s a form that students in the United States fill out to apply for financial aid for college or graduate school.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what it does:
- Determines eligibility for federal student aid like:
- Grants (money you don’t have to pay back, e.g., Pell Grants)
- Loans (money you borrow and repay later, like Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans)
- Work-Study programs (part-time jobs for students with financial need)
- Used by states and colleges too: Many states and schools use your FAFSA information to decide if you qualify for their financial aid programs.
- It’s free to fill out at fafsa.gov and opens every year (usually in the fall, but the timeline has shifted recently due to changes in the system)
