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FAFSA Resources

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FAFSA Resources

What is the FAFSA?

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a form that is submitted by students to determine their financial aid eligibility. It is a required form for federal student aid, such as the Pell Grant and work study, as well as most State of Michigan aid programs like the Michigan Achievement Scholarship. Most students complete this free form online, however there are other options as well. Many students and families are able to complete this form in 30 minutes or less.

2025-26 FAFSA

The 2025–26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form is now available! 

Fill out the FAFSA

Which FAFSA Do I Complete?

To qualify for financial aid, including Federal aid, State aid, Institutional aid, and many scholarships, student must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for each academic year. Both the 2024-25 and the 2025-26 academic years are now open. Use the tool below to determine which FAFSA you should file.

Find out what FAFSA to Complete

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Top Three Questions

  • Yes! Get started by creating a studentaid.gov account for yourself. If you are a dependent student, you will also need your contributor(s) to have an account too.

    How do I know if a parent or spouse also need to create an account?

    • Check this chart to see whether any other contributors, like a parent or spouse, also need to create an account before you can submit your FAFSA form.
    • If you’re still not sure whether you need a parent to sign your form, confirm if you’re an independent or dependent student.
    • If you’re a dependent student, you (or your parent) can use the Who’s My FAFSA Parent wizard to figure out which parent, guardian or spouse also needs to create an account.

    What you need to create a StudentAid.gov account

    • Name (exactly as it appears on your Social Security card if you have one)
    • Date of birth
    • Personal email address
    • Social Security number (if you have one)

    Remember: You’ll have only one StudentAid.gov account to use for the rest of your life, so make sure to use an email address that you’ll have access to even after you graduate from school or change jobs.

    Having trouble? Get answers to common questions about creating a StudentAid.gov account.

  • Yes!

    • Online: You can refer to the U.S. Department of Education for assistance via live chat or you can use their online Help Center.
    • Telephone: Federal Student Aid can assist with questions via phone call at 800-433-3243.
    • Virtual: Office Hours hosted by the Office of 60x30 occur biweekly, Tuesdays from 12-2 p.m. and Thursdays from 5-7 p.m. Join the Reconnect Navigators for help with the FAFSA!
    • In person: One-on-one in person help can often be obtained from any university or college financial aid office (even if it’s not a college or university you plan to attend).
    • Review your FAFSA Submission Summary
      • The Department of Education will review your FAFSA submission and issue a FAFSA Submission Summary after your application has been processed (typically 1-3 days) to your StudentAid.gov account. It is important to review this information for accuracy.
    • The Department of Education issues your FAFSA information to all of the institutions you listed on your FAFSA.
    • Follow up with your institution’s financial aid office(s). Some helpful questions to ask may include:
      • When will you receive your FAFSA record?
      • When will you issue award offers?
      • How will you issue award offers?
      • Are there any additional documents that are required to finalize my financial aid package?
    • Plan to file the FAFSA each academic year. Your institution will need updated information each academic year in order to create a financial aid package for you.

MI Student Aid Answers Your Questions!

What is the FAFSA?

How do I find out how much aid I will receive?

I don’t think I am going to qualify for any financial aid. Should I even bother filling it out?

I thought the FAFSA only gave me access to government loans. Is that the case?

Is consent to use IRS income information required?

Is it hard to fill out the FAFSA?

Is there a deadline for completing the FAFSA?

What materials do I need to complete the FAFSA?

What’s the first step in completing the FAFSA?

Announcements and Resources

Pro Tips for the FAFSA® Form

Step by Step Videos

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Frequently Asked Questions Videos

FAFSA Checklist

uAspire Financial Aid Resources

FAFSA Toolkit for High School Counselors and College Advisers

Terms to Know

  • Student Aid Index (SAI): Calculated by FAFSA data and will determine student aid eligibility. This replaces the EFC that was used in previous years.
  • Cost of Attendance (COA): COA includes tuition and fees, food and housing, books and supplies (including course materials and equipment), miscellaneous expenses, and transportation. 
  • Contributor: A parent, step-parent, student, or spouse of the student who is providing information to the FAFSA. Federal Student Aid "Who is my Contributor" tool. 
  • Consent: Required from all contributors in order for the IRS to share tax data directly to the FAFSA. If any contributor does not provide consent, the student will automatically be ineligible for aid.
  • Direct Data Exchange (DDX): Previously known as IRS Data Retrieval; this tool imports tax data directly from the IRS to your FAFSA.
  • FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS): A summary of your completed FAFSA information. This replaces the Student Aid Report (SAR) that was used in previous years.