What is Federal Financial Student Aid?

Federal financial student aid is money available through government funding to help pay for college or career school. Grants, work-study, loans, and scholarships help make college or career school affordable. You can qualify for Federal Financial Aid for college and trade/tech/career schools by filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form online at fafsa.gov.

La ayuda financiera federal para estudiantes es dinero disponible a través de fondos del gobierno para ayudar a pagar la universidad o la escuela profesional. Las subvenciones, el trabajo y el estudio, los préstamos y las becas ayudan a que la universidad o la escuela profesional sea asequible. Puede calificar para la Ayuda financiera federal para la universidad y las escuelas de comercio/tecnología/profesionales completando el formulario FAFSA (Solicitud gratuita de ayuda federal para estudiantes) en línea en fafsa.gov.

How Financial Aid Works

What you need to fill out the FAFSA

FAFSA Deadlines

Reasons to Fill out the FAFSA even if you think you won’t qualify OR need it:

Some colleges and scholarships require you to fill out the FAFSA, even if you don’t qualify for federal aid. For example, the Opportunity scholarship, offered through the state of Utah, requires you to complete the FAFSA.
If you do not qualify for a Pell grant (free money to go to school), you could qualify for Federal Work Study or for a Stafford loan (must be paid back but it is very low interest, does not accrue interest while you are in school, and has a 6 month grace period before you have to start paying back the loan after you are through taking classes).
The FAFSA is completed every year. Students deferring their college enrollment, for any reason, will still want to fill out the FAFSA. It makes it easier to do when you get back to your education, and makes sure funding is there in place should your plans change (for example, a religious mission is postponed due to an injury).

What to do AFTER you fill out the FAFSA:

Check your email for a communication from the FAFSA about your student Aid Report (SAR)
Follow-up on emails from the colleges that you requested your FAFSA info be sent to and fill out any additional financial aid forms your college requires including any FAFSA verification paperwork the college may ask for
Log back into fafsa.gov if you have corrections or updates to make or need to request your FAFSA be sent to additional colleges
Make sure you are receiving the correct award amounts based on your college enrollment status
Accept your financial aid awards with your college through your college account. You should have received emails from the colleges you applied and were accepted to, giving you a student number and instructions on how to create your student account. This is different from the username and password you may have created to fill out the college application.
Get in touch with your college’s financial aid office if you have questions