Applying for the FAFSA: How To Secure Financial Aid for College

If you want to utilize federal financial aid to cover some (or all) of your college education costs, then you'll need to fill out the FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

About half of high school seniors complete the form every year, according to the National College Attainment Network. More than 1.9 million students from the 2024 graduating class filed a FAFSA.

If you're preparing to submit a FAFSA for student aid, here's what you need to know about the process, how long it takes, and how to avoid costly mistakes along the way.

What is the FAFSA, and why is it important?

The FAFSA is the Department of Education's application for federal financial aid. States and colleges use the information you provide on your FAFSA to determine what aid you qualify for and how much.

You can apply for a variety of student aid options all at once through the FAFSA. This includes:

• Federal student loans
• Federal grants, including Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), and Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grants
• Work-study

Individual schools may also use the FAFSA to determine eligibility for institution-level grants and scholarships.

Current private student loan rates

When is the FAFSA application deadline?

There are both federal and state deadlines you'll need to take into account when filing your FAFSA. For the 2025-26 FAFSA, the federal deadline is 11:59 p.m. Central time on June 30, 2026. Statewide, it varies. In Texas, for example, you'll need to file by Feb. 15, 2025.

You can visit the Federal Student Aid website to find out your state's deadline. It's a good idea to file your application well ahead of that date to maximize your chances of getting student aid, as some is awarded on a first come, first served basis. You should also look up any deadlines for individual schools you're applying to.

“Students should know the priority deadlines for financial aid at each of the colleges they are interested in and file the FAFSA in advance of those dates,” says Bethany Hubert, a financial aid specialist at Going Merry by Earnest.

“I recommend submitting the FAFSA at least a week before the earliest priority deadline, but it's best to file as soon as possible,” she adds.

How to apply for the FAFSA

The FAFSA application should take less than an hour to complete, even if it's your first time applying.

Here's what the process looks like from start to finish:

Step 1: Set up your FSA ID

To start, you'll need to create a username — also called a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID — at StudentAid.gov. This requires your name, Social Security number, and email address.

If you're a dependent student, your parents will also need to create an FSA ID. This allows them to sign your FAFSA and update their information independently.

“It's a good idea for both students and parents to set up their Federal Student Aid username and password in advance of completing the FAFSA,” says Shannon Vasconcelos, senior director of education finance at Bright Horizons College Coach. “It can take up to three days for an FSA ID to be fully functional.”

Step 2: Gather your documentation

Next, gather the documents you'll need to complete the FAFSA.

These include:

• Social Security numbers
• Recent tax returns
• Records of child support, Social Security, or other payments you receive regularly
• Statements for assets, bank accounts, retirement accounts, etc.
• Documents regarding any investments or businesses you have a stake in

Some data regarding your finances will be automatically pulled in from Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration records, but you'll still need to provide that info as part of your application. Just make sure all the info you input matches what the government data will say, Vasconcelos advises.

“You should also know the names of the colleges you're applying to,” Vasconcelos says. “You'll need to list these schools on the FAFSA in order to have your information sent to them.”

Step 3: Fill out the FAFSA form

Once you have all the appropriate information on hand, you can head to FAFSA.gov and fill out your FAFSA form. If you prefer, you can also fill out a PDF of your FAFSA, and then print and mail the form in for processing.

If you get stuck along the way, you can use the “tool tips” embedded in the online form (these look like little question marks), visit the FAFSA Help page, chat with the FAFSA virtual assistant, contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center, or talk to someone in your school's financial aid office.

“Both you and your contributors must also provide consent and approval to have the IRS transfer your federal tax information into the FAFSA from,” Hubert says. “If consent and approval are not provided, you will not be eligible for federal student aid.”

Step 4: Review and submit your form

Last but not least, review the information you've entered in your form and make sure it's all correct before hitting submit.

While going through the document, make sure you've filled in every field. As Hubert puts it, “Leaving a blank field could delay your award letter.”

You should also check for typos along the way. While they might seem like minor errors, they can actually influence your aid chances quite a bit.

“Transposing digits in a Social Security number, adding an extra zero in a bank balance, or using a nickname instead of a full name can cause major problems in accessing the aid you need to attend college,” Vasconcelos says.

What happens after you submit the FAFSA?

After you submit your FAFSA, your application will go into processing, and within a few business days, Hubert says, you'll receive your FAFSA Submission Summary, which will show you all the information you officially submitted on your application. If you spot a mistake or there's an “Action Required” notice on any of the items, you'll need to update your application to correct those.

Your summary will also include your Student Aid Index — previously called the Expected Family Contribution. This is a formula that helps schools determine how much financial aid you'll need to attend the institution, with higher numbers indicating less need and lower numbers indicating a higher need for financial support.

Keep in mind, though: “This is not a financial aid offer,” Hubert says. “You will need to contact the financial aid office of your college to ask about their timeline for sending out financial aid packages to students.”

Schools will issue financial aid packages individually, so you'll receive those offers directly from the institutions you listed on your FAFSA form if you're accepted. You can then compare packages, determine which schools suit your needs best, and officially accept the offer from your chosen school.

Common FAFSA mistakes to avoid

Filling out the FAFSA is a critical step in the financial aid process, so missing the federal or state filing deadline or entering incorrect information are two of the biggest mistakes you can make along the way.

“Many students make the error of not filing their FAFSA as soon as possible, potentially missing out on first come, first served financial aid,” Hubert says.

Filing the wrong form is also a common mistake, Vasconcelos says. For example, as of February 2025, you can apply for both the 2024-25 and the 2025-26 academic years, confusing some potential borrowers.

You should also be careful to fill out every field on the form and include your parents' information too, if applicable.

“The FAFSA will allow dependent students to submit a FAFSA without parental information, but if they do so, they will only be considered for Direct Unsubsidized Loans,” Vasconcelos says. “In order to qualify for any grant funding, dependent students must submit parental information.”

Finally, make sure you sign and submit your form.

“Some students and parents log out of the FAFSA before signing and submitting it,” says Kemia Himon, director of financial aid at McDaniel College. “Both the student and parent — if they're a dependent student — must sign. The application will not be processed until it's signed and submitted.”

“A common pitfall is attempting to submit the FAFSA only once,” Hubert says. “You should actually submit it for each academic year.”

Tips for maximizing your FAFSA financial aid

If you want to maximize the amount of financial aid you're awarded, make sure to list all the schools you're interested in — even if there's only a small chance of you going there. Schools can only offer you aid if you list them on your application.

Keep in mind that the maximum number of schools you can put on your initial application is 20. “If you're applying to more than 20 schools, be aware that you'll need to wait until you receive your FAFSA Submission Summary before you can add additional schools,” Hubert says.

You should also go beyond the FAFSA. First, if you have financial challenges that aren't fully reflected in your application, reach out to the financial aid offices of your top schools.

“Despite its intimidating reputation, the FAFSA actually asks a very limited number of questions about your family's financial situation,” Vasconcelos says.

“If the FAFSA doesn't tell the whole story for your family, be sure to contact the financial aid office at your colleges to explain and document your circumstances. College financial aid offices have the discretion to use their professional judgment to consider students' special circumstances, so don't hesitate to ask for that consideration,” adds Vasconcelos.

You should also fill out a CSS Profile through the College Board, something that over 200 colleges require in addition to the FAFSA, Vasconcelos says.

Ultimately, if you're unhappy with a financial aid offer a school gives you or feel it's unjustified, you can appeal it through the institution's financial aid department. You'll usually need to write an appeal letter detailing why you're appealing, provide documentation supporting your appeal and need for additional aid (like copies of medical bills or a termination notice if one of your parents was laid off), and complete some forms.