Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Your First Step to Financial Aid

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the form used to apply for federal financial aid for college, career school, trade school, or graduate school.

Information from the FAFSA is also used by states and colleges to determine eligibility for certain financial aid programs.

Completing the FAFSA doesn't commit you to attending a particular school or accepting financial aid. It gives schools the information they need to determine the aid you may be eligible to receive.

Complete the FAFSA at StudentAid.gov →

Want Help Completing the FAFSA? Schedule with ICAN →

Why Should You Complete the FAFSA?

Don't Assume You Won't Qualify

Students should complete the FAFSA even if they aren't sure they'll qualify for financial aid.

The FAFSA may be used to determine eligibility for:

Federal grants
Federal student loans
Federal Work-Study
State financial aid
College and university grants or scholarships
Other financial aid programs

Income alone doesn't determine whether you should file.

Even if you don't expect to qualify for need-based grants, completing the FAFSA may give you access to other types of financial aid.

ICAN Tip

File the FAFSA every year you plan to attend college or career training and want to be considered for financial aid. Eligibility and financial circumstances can change from year to year.

File the FAFSA as Early as You Can

Pay Attention to More Than One Deadline

The FAFSA becomes available for the upcoming academic year, but there isn't just one deadline to consider.

You may need to meet:

Federal FAFSA Deadline
The U.S. Department of Education establishes the final deadline for submitting the FAFSA for each academic year.

State Financial Aid Deadlines
States may establish earlier deadlines for certain grants, scholarships, or other programs.

College Priority Deadlines
Colleges may establish priority dates for institutional financial aid.

Some financial aid funds are limited.

If you're considering multiple schools, research the financial aid deadlines for each and plan to complete the FAFSA by the earliest deadline that applies to you.

Don't skip the FAFSA simply because you think you've missed a deadline. You may still be eligible for some forms of financial aid.

Explore Iowa Financial Aid Priority Dates →

Before You Begin

Make Sure Everyone Is Ready

The FAFSA is completed by the student and, when required, other contributors.

A contributor may include:

The student
A student's parent
A parent's spouse
A student's spouse

Each contributor completes their own required section of the FAFSA and signs using their own StudentAid.gov account.

Being identified as a contributor doesn't make someone financially responsible for paying the student's college costs.

Create StudentAid.gov Accounts

Before beginning, make sure the student and anyone likely to be a required contributor have their own StudentAid.gov accounts.

Accounts cannot be shared.

Learn About StudentAid.gov Accounts →

Know Which Parent Should Participate

Family Situations Can Affect Who Is a Contributor

For dependent students, the FAFSA determines which parent or parents need to provide information.

This can be especially important when parents are:

Divorced
Separated
Remarried
Unmarried and living together
Living in different households

Don't assume which parent should complete the FAFSA based simply on who claimed the student on a tax return or who the student lives with.

Use Federal Student Aid's Who's My FAFSA Parent? tool to determine which parent information is required.

Find Out Who Your FAFSA Parent Is →

Gather What You'll Need

Having information ready before you begin can make completing the FAFSA easier.

Depending on your circumstances, you and your contributors may need:

StudentAid.gov account information
Social Security numbers, if applicable
Information about family size
Records of child support received, if applicable
Current cash, checking, and savings balances
Information about certain investments, businesses, or farms, when required
Tax records if needed to answer additional questions
A list of schools you're considering

The FAFSA will tell you which information applies to your situation.

Download the ICAN FAFSA Checklist →

Federal Tax Information

Much of the Tax Information Is Transferred Directly

FAFSA contributors provide consent and approval for federal tax information to be transferred from the IRS for use in determining financial aid eligibility.

This applies even in certain situations where a contributor didn't file a federal tax return.

The transferred federal tax information isn't displayed on the FAFSA or FAFSA Submission Summary.

You may still need tax records to answer other financial questions on the form.

Important

Contributors must provide the required consent and approval for federal tax information to be transferred. Without it, the student isn't eligible for federal student aid.

Complete Your FAFSA

The student should generally start the FAFSA using their own StudentAid.gov account and complete the student section.

The FAFSA will guide you through questions about:

Student identity and eligibility
Personal circumstances
Demographic information
Financial information
Colleges and programs
Required contributors

If contributors are required, the student will provide the information needed to invite them to participate.

Each contributor then logs in using their own StudentAid.gov account, completes their required section, provides consent and approval, and signs the form.

The FAFSA can't be fully processed until all required sections and signatures are complete.

List the Schools You're Considering

You can send your FAFSA information to schools you're considering, even if you haven't applied or been admitted yet.

Listing a school on the FAFSA doesn't obligate you to apply, attend, or accept financial aid from that school.

Schools use FAFSA information as part of determining your eligibility for financial aid.

You can make changes to your school list later if your plans change.

What Happens After You Submit?

Watch for Your FAFSA Submission Summary

After your FAFSA is processed, you'll receive access to your FAFSA Submission Summary.

Review it carefully.

Your FAFSA Submission Summary includes information such as:

Your FAFSA responses
Your Student Aid Index (SAI)
Estimated federal student aid eligibility
Information about your next steps

Check your information for accuracy and make corrections if necessary.

Learn About the Student Aid Index →

The FAFSA Isn't Your Financial Aid Offer

Your FAFSA Submission Summary provides estimates and information based on your FAFSA.

It does not tell you exactly how much financial aid a particular school will give you.

After you're admitted, each school's financial aid office uses your FAFSA information along with other eligibility information to determine your financial aid and provide an aid offer.

Offers may include a combination of:

Scholarships
Grants
Work-study
Student loans
Other institutional or state aid

Review each offer carefully and compare what you'll actually need to pay.

Learn How to Compare Financial Aid Offers →

If Your Financial Situation Has Changed

The FAFSA uses financial information from a specific tax year, but your family's current situation may be different.

Changes might include:

Loss of employment
Significant reduction in income
Major medical expenses
Death of a parent or spouse
Divorce or separation
Other significant financial circumstances
Complete the FAFSA using the information the form requires.

Then contact the financial aid office at the college or career school you're considering and explain the change in circumstances.

The school may be able to review your situation and determine whether an adjustment is appropriate.

Complete the FAFSA Every Year

Financial aid isn't automatically renewed for your entire education.

Complete a new FAFSA for every academic year you want to be considered for federal student aid and other financial aid programs that use FAFSA information.

Your:

Income
Family circumstances
Student Aid Index
College costs
Financial aid eligibility

may change from one year to the next.

Don't assume that receiving—or not receiving—financial aid one year means the result will be the same the next year.

Estimate Aid Before You File

You don't have to wait for the FAFSA to begin thinking about financial aid.

Federal Student Aid's Federal Student Aid Estimator can provide an estimate of your Student Aid Index and potential federal student aid based on the information you provide.

This is only an estimate. Your FAFSA and your school's financial aid process will determine your actual eligibility and offer.

Use the Federal Student Aid Estimator →

You can also use college Net Price Calculators to estimate what a particular school may cost after certain grants and scholarships.

Learn About College Costs & Net Price →

Get Free FAFSA Help

You Don't Have to Figure It Out Alone

The FAFSA is free to complete, and you don't need to pay someone to file it for you.

ICAN provides free FAFSA completion assistance to Iowa students and families through FAFSA Ready Iowa.

You can:

Schedule an in-person or virtual appointment with an ICAN advisor
Attend a FAFSA Ready Iowa event
Ask your school counselor about FAFSA assistance available at your school
Use ICAN's FAFSA resources and checklist

Schedule a FAFSA Appointment →
Find a FAFSA Ready Iowa Event →

From FAFSA to Financial Aid

Completing the FAFSA is the beginning of the financial aid process.

1. Prepare
Create StudentAid.gov accounts and gather the information you'll need.

2. File
Complete the FAFSA and make sure all required contributors finish their sections.

3. Review
Check your FAFSA Submission Summary and Student Aid Index.

4. Respond
Provide additional information if requested by a school.

5. Compare
Review financial aid offers and determine your actual remaining cost.

6. Repeat
Complete the FAFSA again each year you need financial aid.

The FAFSA helps open the door to financial aid. Your next step is understanding what that aid means for your overall plan to pay.