The federal government can help you! The process to finding grants and loans all begins with a FAFSA form. That’s Federal Application For Student Aid. The FAFSA form is your first step in locating financial aid for college.

This form is completely free and will take approximately one hour to fill out. You will need certain information available. You will need your federal tax return from the year before you file the form ( of course if you are the student you will need your parents return information).

What Does the FAFSA Do For You?

The FAFSA is a form used to collect financial and household information about the student and the students family. Using a specific formula the Department of Education will determine what the students contribution should be to their tuition.

Once the students contribution is determined a Federal Pell Grant amount will be determined in some cases the grant will cover one hundred percent of tuition. In most cases, there will be a family contribution amount.

The FAFSA is also used by the university that you apply to, to determine what loans and other financial aid you are eligible for. Many universities use the FAFSA form to determine the way the universities private funds are delegated to needy students.

Get Started

If you or your child is headed to college it is strongly recommended that you get started as soon as possible. There are deadlines that have to be met that are put in place by both the university and the Department of Education.

You can fill the form out online. There is a FAQ section that can answer most questions about filling out the form.

Free Money for School

The Federal Grant program can help you get through four years of college without going into debt. Far too many students take on a lot of debt while they are in college and wind up spending many years trying to get out of it.

Taking advantage of every dime you can get really adds up over time and can help make attending college a reality.

Have a Question About the National Pell Grant? Ask It Here