Financial Aid
FAFSA
2025–26 FAFSA® Form
The 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form allows you to apply for federal grants, work study funds, and loans, all in one application. You can fill out the online form for either the 2025–26 academic year by applying online. Using the online form is more efficient, and therefore strongly encouraged.
If you must download and fill out a paper FAFSA form, please be sure to select the correct academic year desired. Links for those are below as well.
English FAFSA Form
Spanish FAFSA Form
What is Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)?
https://youtu.be/NmEP38x-1Z8?si=2sVyEwHlPga3wh7f
Who should complete the FAFSA® form?
Any student, regardless of income, who wants to be considered for federal, state, and school financial aid programs. This includes grants, scholarships, work-study funds, and loans.
How long will it take?
It takes most people 30 minutes to fill out the FAFSA form, including gathering any personal documents and financial information needed to complete it.
What do I need?
- Verified account username and password (FSA ID)
- Parent or spouse contributor name, date of birth, Social Security number, and email address
- Income and asset information (if required)
After Submitting the FAFSA® Form
After completing the FAFSA form, you’ll receive a confirmation with preliminary and estimated information related to your (the student’s) eligibility for federal student aid.
https://youtu.be/ijRzVjle0tw?si=HArOSjqfTlI-3EdM
The schools you selected will receive your FAFSA eligibility information. You will be notified by email once this information has been sent to your selected schools.
You’ll receive an email when your official Student Aid Index (SAI) is available. Your official SAI is an index number to determine federal student aid eligibility. You can find your SAI on your FAFSA Submission Summary by
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logging in using your account username and password,
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navigating to your account Dashboard,
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selecting your processed FAFSA submission, and
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selecting “View FAFSA Submission Summary.”
Schools will use your official SAI to create your financial aid offer that explains the types and amounts of aid they are offering you. You should begin to receive your personalized aid information from the schools you’ve been accepted to several weeks after they receive your FAFSA information.
Types of Financial Aid: Grants, Work-Study, and Loans
Financial aid is money to help pay for college or career school. Grants, work-study, loans, and scholarships help make college or career school affordable.
Check out this video to learn about federal grants, loans, and work-study jobs and how they can help fund your education.
https://youtu.be/Pn4OECMTh5w?si=UqGyH0u6P4kYuPMs
Grants
A grant is a form of financial aid that doesn’t have to be repaid (unless, for example, you withdraw from school and owe a refund, or you receive a TEACH Grant and don’t complete your service obligation). A variety of federal grants are available, including:
- Pell Grants,
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG),
- Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grants, and
- Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants.
Learn About Grants
Scholarships
Many nonprofit and private organizations offer scholarships to help students pay for college or career school. This type of free money, which is sometimes based on academic merit, talent, or a particular area of study, can make a real difference in helping you manage your education expenses.
Learn About Scholarships
Work-Study Jobs
The Federal Work-Study Program allows you to earn money to pay for school by working part-time. You’ll earn at least the current federal minimum wage. However, you may earn more depending on the type of work you do and the skills required for the position. Your total work-study award depends on
- when you apply,
- your level of financial need, and
- your school’s funding level.
Learn About Work-Study
Loans
A loan is money you borrow and must pay back with interest. If you apply for financial aid, you may be offered loans as part of your school’s financial aid offer. When you receive a student loan, you are borrowing money to attend a college or career school. You must repay the loan as well as interest that accrues. It is important to understand your repayment options so you can successfully repay your loan.
Learn About Loans
Apply for Financial Aid
Federal student aid from ED covers such expenses as tuition and fees, housing and food, books and supplies, and transportation. Aid can also help pay for other related expenses, such as a computer and dependent care. Thousands of schools across the country participate in the federal student aid programs; ask the schools you’re interested in whether they do!
Apply for federal student aid—grants, work-study, and loans—using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. And remember, the first F in “FAFSA” stands for “free”—you shouldn’t pay to fill out the FAFSA form!
The FAFSA form you fill out should correspond with the school year you’re planning to seek aid for. For example, if you’re applying for financial aid for the 2024‒25 school year, fill out the 2024‒25 FAFSA form. Likewise, if you’re applying for financial aid for the 2023‒24 school year, fill out the 2023‒24 FAFSA form. If you plan to take summer classes, contact your school's financial aid office to determine which FAFSA form you should fill out.
You can estimate your eligibility for federal student aid and your Student Aid Index for the 2024‒25 school year with our Federal Student Aid Estimator. Be sure to use the tool before you fill out the FAFSA form.
Complete a FAFSA® form
Aid for Military Families
There are special aid programs or additional aid eligibility for serving in the military or for being the spouse or child of a veteran.
Learn About Aid for Military Families
Aid for International Study
Federal student aid may be available for studying at a school outside the United States, whether you’re studying abroad or getting your degree from an international school.
Learn About Aid for International Study
Aid and Other Resources From the Federal Government
Besides aid from the U.S. Department of Education (ED), the federal government offers a number of other financial aid programs. These programs include:
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educational and training vouchers for current and former foster care youth; and/or
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scholarships and loan repayment programs through the Department of Health and Human Services’ Indian Health Service, National Institutes of Health, and National Health Service Corps.
Aid From Your State Government
Other than federal aid, you might be eligible for financial assistance from your state. Contact your state grant agency for more information.
Aid From Your College or Career School
Many schools offer financial aid from their own grant and/or scholarship funds. Find out what might be available to you:
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Visit your school’s financial aid page on its website, or contact the financial aid office.
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Ask at the department that offers your course of study; they might have a scholarship for students in your major.
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Fill out any applications your school requires for its own aid programs, and meet your school’s deadlines.
To request copies of the paper FAFSA (English or Spanish available) contact:
Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC)
PO Box 84
Washington, DC 20044
1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)
TTY 1-800-730-891
Resources
https://studentaid.gov