Navigation Menu
  • Colleges
    • Get Matched To Colleges
    • Explore All Colleges
    • Colleges By State
    • Online Colleges
    • Review a College
  • Scholarships
    • Explore College Scholarships
    • Scholarship Match
    • Unigo Scholarships
    • $10K Scholarship
    • Unigo Scholarship Winners
  • Easy Scholarships
  • Unigo Scholarships
  • Student Loans
  • Articles
    • All Articles
    • Expert Admissions Advice
    • Get Ready for College
    • How to Pay for College
    • In College Tips
  • Log In
  • My Account
    • My Scholarship Match
    • My Saved Scholarships
    • My College Match
    • My Account
    • Log out
  • Sign Up!
  • Home
  • pay for college
  • scholarship
  • how to apply for federal aid

How to Apply for Federal Aid

Posted byUnigo Staff May 29, 2015October 17, 2022

By Shayla

federal student aid Every year, millions of students apply and receive federal financial aid. To get your piece of the pie, you must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA determines your eligibility for federal aid programs, like Pell Grants and student loans. Universities and some scholarship programs also use the FAFSA to determine need-based financial assistance. Don’t worry! There isn’t any mystery to the FAFSA. Read below to learn how to apply for federal aid today. 1. Obtain the FAFSA form. You have three filing options: Login Online, Complete a PDF FAFSA, or Request a paper FAFSA by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID. 2. Gather information. You will be required to report your parent’s financial information. All income and expense data should be from the prior year ( i.e. 2010 for the 2011-2012 award year). Taxable income, including wages, pensions, interest, dividends, unemployment compensation, for both your parents and you will be requested. Expenses, such as income taxes and child support paid, may be included in your application. The form also will ask you to report assets, like the value of savings and checking accounts. To get an idea of what the process involves, plus an estimated aid package, use the FAFSA4caster. 3. Fill in the accurate data. Be as accurate as possible when filling out the FAFSA. Errors will have to be corrected and may cause your application to be delayed for processing. The online FAFSA helps prevent errors and reduces rejections. Answer each question, unless the form specifically tells you to skip a step. If a question is confusing to you, contact the federal student aid hot line at 1-800-4-FED-AID. 4. Wait for the Student Aid Report (SAR). In three to four weeks, you will receive your Student Aid Report (SAR). The SAR lists all the information included in your application and reports how much money your family is expected to contribute to your college costs, known as the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Carefully review your SAR. If there are any errors, send the corrections back immediately. Once your college financial aid officer receives your SAR, s/he will develop your financial aid package. At first, the FAFSA may seem overwhelming. However, once you gather all the necessary information, it’s smooth sailing thereafter. Fill out your FAFSA today! Then, tell us about your experience. Leave us a comment below. Photo Credit

Post navigation

Previous Post Previous post:
Uncovering the Mysterious FAFSA
Next Post Next post:
Financial Aid Package Battle

Scholarships

  • Athletic Scholarships
  • College-Specific Scholarships
  • Company-Sponsored Scholarships
  • Grants for College
  • Merit-Based Scholarships
  • Minority Scholarships
  • Our Scholarships
  • Scholarship Contests & Sweepstakes
  • Scholarships By Major
  • Scholarships By State
  • Scholarships By Type
  • Scholarships For Graduate Students
  • Scholarships For High School Students
  • Scholarships For Undergraduate Students
  • Weird Scholarships
Unigo Scholarship Database

© 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Scholarship Providers
  • Add a Scholarship
  • Expedite My Scholarship
  • Promote My Scholarship
  • Start a Scholarship
Resources
  • Job Board
  • Student Deals
  • For Parents
  • For Counselors
TAKE ACTION
  • Review A College
  • College Match
  • Scholarship Match
  • Find a Loan
Social
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Financial aid may be available to those who qualify. The information on this site is for informational and research purposes only and is not an assurance of financial aid.

Privacy Policy   |    Terms of Use   |    FAQs   |    About Us   |    Disclosure: “What Determines Top/Best?”    |    Do Not Sell My Personal Information (CA and NV residents)

Disclosure: EducationDynamics receive compensation for the featured schools on our websites (see “Sponsored Schools” or “Sponsored Listings” or “Sponsored Results”). So what does this mean for you? Compensation may impact where the Sponsored Schools appear on our websites, including whether they appear as a match through our education matching services tool, the order in which they appear in a listing, and/or their ranking. Our websites do not provide, nor are they intended to provide, a comprehensive list of all schools (a) in the United States (b) located in a specific geographic area or (c) that offer a particular program of study. By providing information or agreeing to be contacted by a Sponsored School, you are in no way obligated to apply to or enroll with the school.

The sources for school statistics and data is the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.

This is an offer for educational opportunities that may lead to employment and not an offer for nor a guarantee of employment. Students should consult with a representative from the school they select to learn more about career opportunities in that field. Program outcomes vary according to each institution’s specific program curriculum.

×

Sponsored Meaning Explained

EducationDynamics receives compensation for the featured schools on our websites (see “Sponsored Ad” or “Sponsored Listings” or “Sponsored Results”). So what does this mean for you? Compensation may impact where the Sponsored Schools appear on our websites, including whether they appear as a match through our education matching services tool, the order in which they appear in a listing, and/or their ranking. Our websites do not provide, nor are they intended to provide, a comprehensive list of all schools (a) in the United States (b) located in a specific geographic area or (c) that offer a particular program of study. By providing information or agreeing to be contacted by a Sponsored School, you are in no way obligated to apply to or enroll with the school. Your trust is our priority. We at EducationDynamics believe you should make decisions about your education with confidence. that’s why EducationDynamicsis also proud to offer free information on its websites, which has been used by millions of prospective students to explore their education goals and interests.

close