Federal Student Aid (2024)

FAQs

Federal Student Aid? ›

To apply for a federal student loan, you must first complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®) form. Based on the results of your FAFSA form, your college or career school will send you a financial aid offer, which may include federal student loans.

To apply for a federal student loan, you must first complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®) form. Based on the results of your FAFSA form, your college or career school will send you a financial aid offer, which may include federal student loans.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and CADAA are available to submit for the 2023-2024 Academic year. Apply Today! May 2, 2024 is the Priority Deadline for both the FAFSA and CADAA.

$57,500 for undergraduates-No more than $23,000 of this amount may be in subsidized loans. $138,500 for graduate or professional students-No more than $65,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans. The graduate aggregate limit includes all federal loans received for undergraduate study.

To access your StudentAid.gov account, you'll need to provide your username and password (FSA ID) followed by a two-step verification secure code. A verified phone number or email address can be used instead of a username to log in.

Apply for federal student aid—grants, work-study, and loans—using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®) form.

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.

What Are the FAFSA Income Limits for 2024? Both students and their parents often think their household income makes them ineligible for financial aid. However, there's no income limit for the FAFSA, and the U.S. Department of Education does not have an income cap for federal financial aid.

If your (the student's) parents are married, remarried, or unmarried and living together, you must invite at least one parent as a contributor with the option to invite the other parent as well. If you only invite one parent, that person will be the parent contributor on your FAFSA form.

Over 17.6 million FAFSA forms are completed each year, according to the Department of Education. 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.

How much does the average student get in federal aid? ›

The majority of students awarded financial aid received federal grants. 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.

Direct Stafford Loans are student loans that must be repaid and are available to both undergraduate and graduate students. First-year undergraduates are eligible for loans up to $5,500. Amounts increase for subsequent years of study, with higher amounts for graduate students.

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.

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.

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.)

Fill Out the FAFSA^® Form Each Year

In order to receive aid the next year, you'll need to submit that next year's FAFSA form. Luckily, the FAFSA form makes it easy for you by remembering certain information you reported the year before and placing it in your new FAFSA form.

Unlike federal student loans, Pell Grants don't have to be paid back except under certain circ*mstances. Millions of Pell Grants are awarded each year to eligible undergraduate students who submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®) form.

The CSS Profile offers different aid than the FAFSA, which means that you might unlock even more financial aid than what's available at the federal and state level. If you can afford to pay the fee or you qualify for fee waivers, the CSS Profile is a great extra step.