A checklist you can run from, answers to what families often say, and the state aid programs we list for each state. For the full explanation to hand to students, point them to our FAFSA and state aid guide. Rules and dates change every year, so treat studentaid.gov as the final word.
Counselor checklist
Before the FAFSA opens
Have the student and each parent or other contributor create their own FSA ID at studentaid.gov. Verification can take a day or two, so this is the step most worth doing early.
Remind families that every contributor has to give consent for the IRS to share their federal tax information, or the form can't be submitted.
Collect what the form asks for: Social Security numbers where people have them, last year's tax information, records of untaxed income and a list of the colleges the student is considering.
When it opens each fall
The FAFSA opens each fall for the following school year, and the opening date has moved in recent years, so check studentaid.gov instead of relying on a date you saw somewhere else.
File as early as you can. The federal deadline falls near the end of the school year, but state and college deadlines are often much earlier, and some state and school aid is first come, first served.
Hold a FAFSA completion night or open lab hours in the first weeks. Families finish the form far more often when someone is in the room to answer questions.
After it is filed
Students get a Student Aid Index (SAI), and the colleges they listed use it to build their aid offers. A lower SAI means more need.
Some students are selected for verification and have to send documents to the college. Tell families so a request doesn't catch them off guard.
Have students compare offers side by side and watch for the difference between grants and scholarships (free) and loans (repaid).
Check state deadlines separately. Some states want a second form or a college code, and a few have their own application.
What families say, and what to tell them
“Our income is too high.”
Many merit scholarships and state programs ask for a filed FAFSA no matter the income, and federal student loans need it too. Filing costs nothing.
“The FAFSA is only for loans.”
It is also how students qualify for grants, work-study and a lot of state and college aid.
“My parent doesn't have a Social Security number.”
A parent without one can still take part as a contributor. The student needs to follow the steps on studentaid.gov for that situation.
“I'm undocumented, so there's no point.”
Undocumented students can't receive federal aid, but some states and many colleges offer aid through their own applications. Look at your state's rules and the colleges' financial aid pages.
“We have to wait until we've picked a college.”
Students can list the colleges they are considering and add more later. Waiting costs them first-come aid.
Students who need a different route
Students who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, in foster care, or living without family support may be able to file as independent students, which means they don't need a parent's information. The paperwork for that can include a determination from a school district homeless liaison or a similar official, so start those conversations early. The steps are on studentaid.gov.
State aid in your state
Most states use the FAFSA (or their own form) to award state grants, and the rules and deadlines differ by state. Pick a state to see the open programs we list that say the FAFSA or a state form is part of applying.
Official sources
studentaid.gov: the FAFSA itself, FSA IDs and every current rule and date.
FSA Partner Connect: the U.S. Department of Education's site for school counselors and other financial aid professionals.
Scholarship displacement: what to tell students when an outside scholarship could reduce their aid.