How To Use the FAFSA to Apply for College Grants

Filling out the FAFSA is the main way to be considered for federal, state, and many school-based grants for college or career school in the U.S.

HowToGetAssistance.org provides general information only; you must use official government and school websites to apply, submit documents, or check your status.

Fast Answer: How Grants and FAFSA Fit Together

You do not apply for each grant separately on the FAFSA. Instead, you submit the FAFSA form, and then your information is used by:

• The U.S. Department of Education to decide your eligibility for federal grants (like the Pell Grant).
• Your state higher education agency to consider you for state grants (in many states).
• Your college’s financial aid office to decide on institutional grants and scholarships.

In practice, the way to “apply for grants on FAFSA” is: complete and submit the FAFSA accurately and early, list all the schools you’re considering, and then watch for aid offers and follow-up requests from those schools.

Terms You’ll See (Plainly Explained)

• FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid; the main federal form that collects your financial and family information.
• Student Aid Index (SAI) – A number calculated from your FAFSA that colleges use to estimate your need; formerly known as EFC.
• Pell Grant – The main need-based federal grant for undergraduates; it does not need to be repaid.
• Financial Aid Offer – The document (or online notice) from each school listing the grants, loans, and work-study you are being offered.

What You’ll Need Ready Before You Start

You can typically apply for grants through FAFSA as a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen who is pursuing an eligible degree or certificate program, but your exact eligibility is decided only after review.

Before you start the FAFSA, gather these commonly required items:

• Your Social Security number (and your parents’ SSNs if you’re a dependent student).
• Your Alien Registration number, if you are an eligible noncitizen.
• Federal tax returns and W-2s (usually from two years prior) for you and your parents, if applicable.
• Current records of untaxed income (child support received, veterans’ noneducation benefits, etc.).
• Balances of cash, savings, and investments (not including most retirement accounts or primary home).
• List of colleges you want to receive your FAFSA information (you can usually list multiple schools).

Do this next: create or confirm your FSA ID (username/password) at the official Federal Student Aid website so you can sign the FAFSA electronically.

Real-world friction to watch for

One frequent snag is leaving required questions blank or guessing on tax figures instead of using accurate numbers, which can trigger verification requests or corrections later. Another common delay happens when a required parent or spouse doesn’t create an FSA ID or doesn’t sign the FAFSA, leaving the form incomplete. People also often miss school or state grant deadlines because they assume the federal FAFSA deadline is the only one that matters.

Step-by-Step: How To Apply for Grants Through the FAFSA

These steps describe the typical federal process; specific dates and details can vary slightly by year.

1. Create your FSA ID (before the FAFSA)

1. Go to the official Federal Student Aid site (a .gov site, such as the U.S. Department of Education’s FAFSA portal).
2. Create an FSA ID for yourself; if you’re a dependent student, a parent will usually need their own FSA ID.
3. What to expect next: You’ll typically confirm your email/phone; once verified, you can log in and start the FAFSA when it opens for your aid year.

2. Start the FAFSA online

1. Log in with your FSA ID and choose the correct award year (for the school year you plan to attend).
2. Indicate whether you are a student, parent, or preparer.
3. Answer personal questions about your citizenship status, marital status, and education plans.
4. What to expect next: The system will guide you through sections on your household and financial situation.

3. Provide income and asset information

1. When available, use the federal data retrieval/transfer tools (if offered that year) to securely pull income info from the IRS, or enter numbers manually from your tax return and W‑2s.
2. Report untaxed income and current asset balances where asked; answer honestly and completely.
3. What to expect next: Your answers feed into the calculation of your Student Aid Index (SAI), which schools use to decide need-based grant eligibility.

4. List your colleges

1. Add every school you’re seriously considering so each can review you for grants.
2. You can usually list more than one; if you’re unsure, it’s better to include additional schools now.
3. What to expect next: Each listed school receives your FAFSA data electronically from the U.S. Department of Education.

5. Sign and submit the FAFSA

1. Review your answers for accuracy, especially Social Security numbers, income, and school list.
2. Electronically sign the FAFSA using your FSA ID; if required, your parent or spouse also signs with their FSA ID.
3. Submit the form and save or print the confirmation page.
4. What to expect next: You typically receive a confirmation email and, later, an official summary (such as a FAFSA Submission Summary) showing your information and SAI.

6. Watch for your financial aid offers

1. Once admitted, each college’s financial aid office uses your FAFSA information to build a financial aid offer.
2. This offer often includes:
   • Federal grants (Pell Grant, possibly others like FSEOG if the school participates).
   • State and institutional grants, if you qualify and if funds are available.
   • Federal loans and work-study options.
3. What to expect next: Offers are usually posted in your school’s online portal and/or mailed or emailed; you then follow school instructions to accept or decline parts of the package.

Costs, Deadlines, and Where State and School Grants Come In

The FAFSA itself is free. If a website tries to charge you to submit the FAFSA, you are not on the official federal site.

There are typically three sets of deadlines that affect whether you receive certain grants:

Do this next: check the FAFSA deadlines page and your state’s higher education agency site, plus each college’s financial aid page, to confirm the earliest applicable deadline and aim to file well before it.

Many state and institutional grant programs automatically use your FAFSA; some also require an additional state or school form, so always review the instructions on:

• Your state higher education agency website.
• Each college’s financial aid or scholarships page.

Avoid Mistakes and Scam Warnings

Because FAFSA unlocks access to money for college, scams are common.

Key protections and best practices:

• Only use official .gov sites to complete the FAFSA or create your FSA ID. The U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid page is the central portal.
• Be cautious with any service promising “guaranteed grants” or charging large “processing fees”; legitimate grants through FAFSA do not require extra fees.
• Never share your FSA ID password with anyone, including paid “assistants.”
• If you need free help, you can usually contact your school’s financial aid office, your high school counselor, or the official Federal Student Aid Information Center (contact information is available on the federal site).
• Do not email or text Social Security numbers or FSA ID details; use secure portals or official phone channels when directed.

If you’re unsure whether a site or call is legitimate, you can compare contact details against those listed on the official Federal Student Aid (.gov) website before sharing information.

Fixing a Problem: Corrections, Missing Info, or Verification

If your FAFSA has an error, or a school asks for more information, you typically have ways to correct it.

Common “If this happens → do this” paths:

• FAFSA shows incorrect income or school list → Log back in, use the “Make a Correction” option (if available), update, and resubmit.
• A school requests verification (extra proof of your info) → Follow their specific instructions; this commonly involves submitting tax transcripts, W‑2s, or verification forms to the college’s financial aid office, not to the FAFSA site.
• You can’t tell which office handles grants at your school → Visit the school website and search for “Financial Aid” or “Student Financial Services”, then use the listed phone or email.

A simple phone script you can adapt:
“Hi, I submitted my FAFSA and I’m trying to make sure I’m being considered for all possible grants. Can you tell me if you received my FAFSA and whether you need any additional forms or documents for grant eligibility?”

If you suspect a technical issue with the FAFSA itself (such as not being able to sign or submit), the Federal Student Aid Information Center listed on the federal site is typically the best official contact.

If FAFSA Grants Aren’t Enough

FAFSA-based grants often cover only part of total costs. If your financial aid offer doesn’t meet your needs, you can:

• Ask your college financial aid office if they have a special circumstances or professional judgment review process if your family’s financial situation has changed since the tax year used.
• Apply for separate scholarships that are not based on the FAFSA (local organizations, employers, community foundations).
• Look into state-specific aid programs that may require their own application in addition to FAFSA (details are usually on your state higher education agency’s site).

Because eligibility rules and programs can differ by state and institution, always confirm with your state agency and each school’s financial aid office which grant applications are driven by the FAFSA alone and which require extra steps. Once you have your FSA ID created, your documents ready, and the key deadlines noted, you can submit the FAFSA and start the grant review process through the official systems with much more confidence.