Free Application for Federal Student Aid
FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. To get federal financial aid, such as Pell grants and subsidized student loans, you must complete the FAFSA. Let’s learn how!
What is the FAFSA?
Watch this video for an overview of the FAFSA.
Mire este video para obtener una descripción general de la FAFSA en español.
FAFSA Basics
Here are a few important things to know about the FAFSA
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Free!
The FAFSA is free to complete.
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Bilingual
The FAFSA is available in English and Spanish.
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Deadlines
The FAFSA opens October 1st of your junior year. It is due no later than the following June 30th.
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Early is Better!
Though it’s not due until June 30th of your senior year, fill out the FAFSA as soon as it opens.
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SAI
Beginning with the class of 2024, you will no longer get an EFC. Instead, you’ll get an SAI, which stands for Student Aid Index. Learn about the differences here.
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New FAFSA
Beginning in 2023, the FAFSA has been revised to be shorter. It will take less time to complete! Learn more about changes here.
FAFSA Terms
There are a lot of confusing terms used in discussing the FAFSA. Here’s what you should know.
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FSA ID stands for Federal Student Aid Identification. It is a username and password that you use to access certain U.S. Department of Education websites, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Your FSA ID serves as your electronic signature and allows you to sign legally binding documents electronically.
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SAI stands for Student Aid Index, which will replace EFC for the class of 2024. It is a number based on your FAFSA information that helps college determine how much federal financial aid is available to you. When you subtract your SAI from a college’s Cost of Attendance (COA), that is your demonstrated need.
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SAR stands for Student Aid Report. It is a report that summarizes the information you provided on your FAFSA. Your SAR includes your Student Aid Index (SAI) and other important details about your eligibility for federal student aid. You receive your SAR after you submit your FAFSA.
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AGI stands for Adjusted Gross Income. You can find it on your tax return. It is the amount of income you earned during the previous tax year, minus certain deductions and exemptions. Your AGI is used to calculate your federal income tax liability and is also used to determine your eligibility for certain tax credits and deductions.
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The IRS Retrieval Tool is a feature within the FAFSA that allows you to transfer your tax information directly from the IRS to your FAFSA. This saves you time and reduces the likelihood of errors when entering your tax information manually. To use the IRS Retrieval Tool, you must have filed your federal income tax return for the previous year.
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A federally mandated process to confirm the accuracy of data provided by selected applicants on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To complete the verification process, the student, their caregiver(s), or spouse, if applicable, are required to provide certain documents to the school for review. If the documentation the student provides the institution doesn't match what was reported on the FAFSA, verification can result in changes to the student's financial aid eligibility, and/or financial aid offers.
Completing the FAFSA
It may seem complicated, we know. Here are the steps you should take to complete the FAFSA.
Step 1
English instructions for creating an FSA ID.
Create an FSA ID. Every contributor to the student’s FAFSA will need an FSA ID.
Click here to create your FSA ID on the Federal Student Aid website.
Instrucciones en español para obtener una FSA ID.
Step 2
You’ll need to provide lots of financial information in the FAFSA. Gather documents ahead of time so you’re ready to go!
For a video walkthrough of completing the form, check out this resource from Utah College Awareness and Financial Aid.
Step 3
It’s time to complete the form!
Text based instructions for completing the FAFSA from the Department of Education:
Have Questions?
That’s okay – we all do! For common questions about completing the form and different student circumstances, please see these resources. We’ll update these when we have resources for the new FAFSA. In the meantime, they’ll still help!