Federal Student Aid (2024)

FAQs

Is federal student aid different from FAFSA? ›

Completing and submitting the FAFSA form is free and easier than ever, and it gives you access to federal student aid—the largest source of aid— to help you pay for college or career/trade school. In addition, many states and colleges use your FAFSA information to determine your eligibility for state and school aid.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and CADAA are available to submit for the 2023-2024 Academic year. Apply Today! May 2, 2024 is the Priority Deadline for both the FAFSA and CADAA.

$57,500 for undergraduates-No more than $23,000 of this amount may be in subsidized loans. $138,500 for graduate or professional students-No more than $65,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans. The graduate aggregate limit includes all federal loans received for undergraduate study.

To see your aid, log in to your StudentAid.gov account using your account username and password (FSA ID). Learn more about possible reasons why your StudentAid.gov account is missing loan or grant info.

Apply for federal student aid—grants, work-study, and loans—using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®) form.

It is not the financial aid itself. However, the FAFSA enables the student to qualify for many types of financial aid from several sources. Some of this money is free money, some must be earned through work, and some must be repaid. There are three main types of financial aid.

The average federal grant award for undergraduate students has more than doubled to $8,890 in 2022 from $4,335 in 2001. Student aid estimates for 2022-2023 show that average federal grant aid has increased to $10,677.

The office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) provides approximately $114.1 billion in grant, work-study, and loan funds each year to help students and their families pay for college or career school.

Did You Know? There is no income cut-off to qualify for federal student aid. Many factors—such as the size of your family and your year in school—are taken into account.

Most students are eligible to receive financial aid from the federal government to help pay for college, career school, or trade school. While your income is taken into consideration, it isn't the only thing your school considers when offering federal student aid.

How to check how much money FAFSA gave you? ›

Once your FAFSA form or correction has been processed, you can get a copy of your SAR by logging in to fafsa.gov using your FSA ID and selecting the “View SAR” option near the middle of the “My FAFSA” page.

However, some of the available money is handed out on a first come, first serve basis. So, it's a good idea to file your application sooner than later to help pay for your education. A new, updated version of the FAFSA was recently launched for the 2024-2025 academic year. Here's how the form works.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a form you must complete to receive federal or state financial aid as a college student.

Direct PLUS Loans made to graduate or professional students and parents of dependent undergraduate students to help pay for education expenses not covered by other financial aid. Eligibility is not based on financial need, but a credit check is required.

A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid, except under certain circ*mstances. To qualify for a Pell Grant, a student must demonstrate financial need through the Free Application for Federal Student Financial Aid (FAFSA^®) form.

You apply for your student loan once a year by filling out the FAFSA. But your loan is actually paid out in two separate parts: one for each semester of that school year. The interest rate for both loans is the same and is set early in the year.