What is the FAFSA?
The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This online form allows students to apply for financial aid to help them pursue their education.
Who should complete the FAFSA?
Anyone considering college should complete the FAFSA. Without the FAFSA, students cannot be considered for any Federal, State, or need-based financial aid. Some sponsored scholarships, like the Working Families Scholarship and S-STEM Husky PAWS Scholarship, also require FAFSA completion for students to apply. Examples of financial aid that require completion of the FAFSA include:
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal Supplemental Grant
- Federal Direct Loans
- Federal Parent PLUS Loans
- Michigan Achievement Scholarship
- Tuition Incentive Program
- Michigan Competitive Scholarship
- University Student Aid Grant
- Working Families Scholarship
- S-STEM Husky PAWS Scholarship
When should you complete the FAFSA?
Students should complete the FAFSA every year. For the 2025-2026 school year, the FAFSA is expected to become available by December 1. To ensure a timely receipt of a financial aid package, students should plan to complete the FAFSA as soon as possible after it becomes available. Delay in completing the FAFSA may result in financial aid not being available when needed.
Where can you find the FAFSA?
Students and parents can complete the FAFSA online.
What do you need with you when completing the FAFSA?
When completing the FAFSA, students and parents should plan to have:
- An FSA ID
- Social security numbers for the student and any other possible FAFSA contributors
- Tax documents from the relevant year
- Current balances of any checking and savings accounts
- Current net values of any investments, businesses, or farms
What can you expect after completing the FAFSA?
After you complete and submit your FAFSA, it will be processed by the Department of Education, and the results will be sent to the schools you selected when completing your FAFSA. It will take one to three business days for your FAFSA to be processed by the Department of Education after you complete it, and it may then take another week or two for your FAFSA to be received and processed by your school after that.
Once your FAFSA is processed by the Department of Education, they will send you a notification telling you that your FAFSA Submission Summary is available. You may then review your FAFSA Submission Summary to confirm that the information you entered for your FAFSA is correct. You will also be able to see the initial results of your FAFSA, including your Student Aid Index (SAI) and the kinds of Federal financial aid you may be eligible to receive.
Where can you learn more about the FAFSA?
To learn more about the FAFSA, please check out our FAQ or the Federal Student Aid website.