Official sources and resources
Start with the official government sources below — everything else on this page supports understanding them, not replacing them.
- StudentAid.gov — official FAFSA and federal aid site — The official US Department of Education site for filing the FAFSA, checking federal loan details, and exploring repayment plans.
- FAFSA.gov — file your FAFSA — The direct link to start or continue your FAFSA application. Filing here is always free.
- Federal Student Aid — repayment plans — Current federal repayment plan options, including income-driven repayment, directly from the loan servicer's regulator.
- Federal Student Aid — Public Service Loan Forgiveness — Official eligibility rules for PSLF, relevant before considering any refinance of a federal loan.
Rules, thresholds and providers described here are those of the United States.
Key FAFSA and financial aid dates
These are recurring timing patterns each academic year — always confirm exact current dates at studentaid.gov and your state's aid agency.
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| FAFSA opens | The form typically opens on October 1 for the following academic year — file as early as possible. |
| State deadlines | Vary by state and are frequently first-come, first-served; some close as early as February or March. Check your state's higher education agency site. |
| School priority deadlines | Individual colleges set their own priority filing dates for institutional aid, often in winter, well before federal or state deadlines. |
| Federal deadline | Generally falls near the end of June of the academic year you're enrolling into, with a short correction window after — the most forgiving of the three, but rarely the one that determines your award. |
Always confirm current dates with the official source — they move.
Checklists you can work through
Before you file the FAFSA
- Social Security number for the student (and parent, if dependent)
- Most recent federal tax return for the student and parent(s)
- Records of any untaxed income
- Current bank and investment account balances
- FSA ID created for the student and, if dependent, one parent
- List of every school you want to receive your FAFSA results
Before you compare award letters
- Each school's full cost of attendance, not just tuition
- Total grants and scholarships listed separately from loans
- Whether loans are subsidized, unsubsidized, or PLUS
- Any GPA or renewal requirement attached to a grant or scholarship
- Net cost after grants only (not after loans)
- A list of questions for the financial aid office
Common mistakes people make
Waiting to file until taxes feel 'final'
File as soon as the FAFSA opens using estimated or IRS-retrieved figures — corrections can be made later, but state and school aid often runs out first.
Assuming income is too high to qualify
File anyway — many merit scholarships and unsubsidized loans require a filed FAFSA regardless of income.
Never appealing an award that looks wrong
Contact the financial aid office and ask about a professional judgment review if your circumstances have changed since the tax year used.
Reading the award letter's total without separating loans from grants
Rebuild the letter into cost, grants, loans, and net cost after grants alone before comparing offers.
Skipping the scholarship search because the odds seem low
Search local and small awards first — they draw far fewer applicants than large national scholarships.
Refinancing a federal loan without checking what's given up
List every federal protection — income-driven repayment, PSLF eligibility, deferment — before comparing a private rate.
Glossary
The words that get used as if everyone already knows them.
FAFSA
Free Application for Federal Student Aid — the form used to apply for federal, state, and most school-based financial aid in the US.
Student Aid Index (SAI)
The number that replaced the Expected Family Contribution. It's used by schools to determine eligibility for need-based aid, not a bill or a guaranteed amount.
Cost of attendance
A school's total estimated cost for a year, including tuition, fees, housing, food, books, and other expenses — broader than tuition alone.
Direct Subsidized Loan
A federal loan for undergraduates with demonstrated financial need, where the government pays interest while the student is enrolled at least half-time.
Direct Unsubsidized Loan
A federal loan available regardless of financial need, where interest begins accruing immediately.
Direct PLUS Loan
A federal loan for parents of dependent undergraduates or for graduate students, used after subsidized/unsubsidized limits are reached, requiring a credit check.
Work-study
A federal program offering part-time jobs, often on campus, to students with financial need — money earned through work, not a grant.
Grant
Financial aid that does not need to be repaid, often based on financial need, such as the Federal Pell Grant.
Income-driven repayment
A group of federal repayment plans that set monthly student loan payments based on income and family size, only available on federal loans.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
A federal program that can forgive remaining federal Direct Loan balances after 10 years of qualifying payments while working for a qualifying public-service employer.
Professional judgment review
A financial aid office's formal process for adjusting a family's aid package when documented circumstances differ from what the FAFSA reflects.
FSA ID
The username and password used to sign the FAFSA electronically and access federal student aid accounts at studentaid.gov.