Paying for college
How the FAFSA, the Student Aid Index, Pell Grants, federal loans, work-study, the CSS Profile and scholarships work, and how to compare aid offers. Every fact below names its official source.
Last checked:
The FAFSA
Aid rules, amounts, rates and deadlines change every year. This page is general information, not financial advice: confirm with StudentAid.gov, your state aid agency and each school’s financial aid office. UpOnly Learning does not promise any aid.
Colleges and career schools use the FAFSA form to determine how much financial aid a student is eligible to receive, which could include grants, scholarships, work-study funds and loans. [1]
The FAFSA form is for any student, regardless of income, who wants to be considered for federal, state and school financial aid programs. [1]
The FAFSA form becomes available each fall for the upcoming school year. [2]
More details
Students must apply for aid every year. [1]
The federal deadline to submit the FAFSA form is at the end of June at the close of the school year it covers, but each state has its own deadline and each college or career school may have its own deadline. [3]
States and colleges use FAFSA information to award their own grants, scholarships and loans, and because some aid is limited, students have to meet the deadlines. [3]
Missing a state deadline does not affect eligibility for federal student aid, so students should fill out the FAFSA form even if their state deadline has passed. [1]
The Student Aid Index (SAI)
The Student Aid Index (SAI) is an eligibility index number that a college’s or career school’s financial aid office uses to determine how much federal student aid a student would receive, and it results from the information on the FAFSA form. [4]
The SAI is not a dollar amount of aid eligibility or what a family is expected to provide, and a negative SAI indicates higher financial need. [4]
More details
The school’s financial aid staff subtract the SAI from the cost of attendance to determine a student’s financial need and how much need-based aid the student can get. [4]
The need-based federal student aid programs are the Federal Pell Grant, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), the Direct Subsidized Loan and Federal Work-Study. [4]
Federal Pell Grants
Federal Pell Grants usually are awarded only to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need and have not earned a bachelor’s, graduate or professional degree. [5]
The maximum Federal Pell Grant award is set for each award year, and StudentAid.gov lists the current amount and adds the amount for the next award year when it is available. [5]
More details
The amount a student gets depends on the Student Aid Index, the cost of attendance, full-time or part-time status, plans to attend for a full academic year or less, the type and length of the program and remaining Pell lifetime eligibility. [5]
A student can receive the Federal Pell Grant for no more than 12 full-time terms or the equivalent, roughly six years. [5]
A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid, except under certain circumstances. [5]
Federal student loans
Loans must be repaid with interest. Rates are set each year for new loans, so check StudentAid.gov for the rate on the date your loan is first paid out.
- Direct Subsidized Loans are available to undergraduate students with financial need, and the U.S. Department of Education pays the interest while the student is in school at least half-time, for the first six months after leaving school and during deferment. [6]
- Direct Unsubsidized Loans are available to undergraduate, graduate and professional students with no requirement to demonstrate financial need, and the borrower is responsible for paying the interest during all periods. [6]
- Direct Loan interest rates are set each year for loans first disbursed during that year, with separate rates for undergraduate Direct Subsidized and Direct Unsubsidized Loans, graduate or professional Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Direct PLUS Loans for parents and graduate or professional students, and StudentAid.gov lists the current rates. [7]
More details
- These are fixed rates that will not change for the life of the loan, and interest rates on federal student loans are set by federal law, not by the U.S. Department of Education. [7]
- Most federal student loans have a loan fee, a percentage of the loan amount that comes out of each disbursement, and the percentage depends on the loan type and the date the loan is first disbursed, with a higher fee for Direct PLUS Loans than for Direct Subsidized and Direct Unsubsidized Loans, and StudentAid.gov lists the current fees. [7]
- With parent PLUS loans the parent, not the student, is fully responsible for paying back the loan, and PLUS loans have the highest interest rates for federal student loans. [8]
- The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) brought important loan limit changes, and the school determines the actual loan amount, within annual and total limits that depend on year in school, dependency status, enrollment status, program of study and whether the student is eligible for the pre-OBBBA limit. [6]
Federal Work-Study
Federal Work-Study provides part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay education expenses, and it encourages community service work and work related to the student’s course of study. [9]
Federal Work-Study is administered by schools participating in the program, so students should check with the school’s financial aid office to find out if it participates. [9]
The CSS Profile
FAFSA® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Education. CSS Profile and SAT® are trademarks of College Board. College Board is not affiliated with and does not endorse UpOnly Learning.
The CSS Profile is an online application used by colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal institutional aid, and for federal aid students must complete the FAFSA. [10]
Most students complete the CSS Profile in their senior year of high school, starting in the fall, and schools may have different deadlines. [10]
Students should check each college’s information to see whether it requires the CSS Profile, a list of participating schools is available online, and some schools may also require divorced or separated parents to complete separate applications. [10]
More details
Students who do not receive a fee waiver pay 25 U.S. dollars for the initial CSS Profile application and 16 U.S. dollars for each additional report. [11]
Undergraduate students living in the U.S. may submit the CSS Profile for free if their family adjusted gross income is up to 100,000 U.S. dollars, if they qualified for an SAT fee waiver, or if they are an orphan or ward of the court under the age of 24. [12]
Many colleges provide institutional financial aid to international students, and the CSS Profile lets families enter their income, assets and expenses in their home currency. [13]
Scholarships and scams
- Scholarships are gifts that do not need to be repaid, offered by schools, employers, individuals, private companies, nonprofits, communities, religious groups and professional and social organizations. [14]
- Some scholarship deadlines are as early as a year before college starts, so high school students should research and apply for scholarships during the summer between their junior and senior years. [14]
- Students should make sure scholarship information and offers are legitimate, and they do not have to pay to find scholarships or other financial aid. [14]
More details
- All student aid added together cannot be more than the cost of attendance, so students need to tell their school about a scholarship so the financial aid office can subtract that amount. [14]
- Only students and their families can complete their FAFSA, which is always free to fill out and submit, and students should never share their FSA ID with anyone, including companies or consultants. [15]
- Students should never pay to apply for a scholarship, and should walk away if a company promises a scholarship or grant in exchange for a processing cost, redemption fee or other upfront payment. [15]
- An offer is a scam if it says the scholarship will cost some money, asks for a credit card or bank account number to hold a scholarship, or says the student is a finalist in a contest the student never entered. [15]
- Financial aid and scholarship scams can be reported to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the state attorney general. [15]
Comparing aid offers and net price calculators
There is no standardized format or delivery method for financial aid offers, and an aid offer is the best source of truth for school costs because it includes the exact amounts and types of student aid being offered. [8]
When comparing offers students should check whether each item is money that does not need to be repaid, earned money or borrowed money, and for student loans, the interest rates and loan limits. [8]
Some schools can offer institutional aid that greatly lowers out-of-pocket costs, which is why students should always compare net price, not sticker price. [8]
More details
Under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, each postsecondary institution that participates in the Title IV federal student aid programs is required to post a net price calculator on its website. [16]
The calculator estimates a student’s net price of attendance, defined as cost of attendance minus grant and scholarship aid, based on what similar students paid in a previous year. [16]
The net price calculator is required for all Title IV institutions that enroll full-time, first-time degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduate students. [16]
Net price calculators are available on each college’s or university’s website, and its Net Price Calculator Center links to them using the web addresses collected through IPEDS. [17]
International students
International students
Visas, the Form I-20, proof of funds and work rules for students from other countries.
Non-U.S. citizens who qualify for federal student aid are known as eligible noncitizens, a group that includes U.S. nationals and U.S. permanent residents with a green card. [18]
Students in the U.S. on an F-1, F-2 or M-1 student visa, or on a J-1 or J-2 exchange visitor visa, are not eligible noncitizens and cannot receive federal student aid. [18]
Students who are neither citizens nor eligible noncitizens may still find some scholarships and other aid, and can ask the college they plan to attend whether it offers aid for students like them. [18]
Questions people search
Chosen from our search-question research. Every answer is cited.
When does the FAFSA open?
The FAFSA form becomes available each fall for the upcoming school year. [2]
Students must apply for aid every year. [1]
What is the maximum Pell Grant?
The maximum Federal Pell Grant award is set for each award year, and StudentAid.gov lists the current amount and adds the amount for the next award year when it is available. [5]
What is the CSS Profile?
The CSS Profile is an online application used by colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal institutional aid, and for federal aid students must complete the FAFSA. [10]
Students who do not receive a fee waiver pay 25 U.S. dollars for the initial CSS Profile application and 16 U.S. dollars for each additional report. [11]
Can international students get financial aid in the US?
Students in the U.S. on an F-1, F-2 or M-1 student visa, or on a J-1 or J-2 exchange visitor visa, are not eligible noncitizens and cannot receive federal student aid. [18]
Students who are neither citizens nor eligible noncitizens may still find some scholarships and other aid, and can ask the college they plan to attend whether it offers aid for students like them. [18]
Your next step
Find out where you stand in math and reading today with a free placement test, then fill the gaps one step at a time.
Free for students, teens and adults. No card needed.
Sources
- Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education (StudentAid.gov). FAFSA® Application. https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. no edition stated. Checked .
- Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education (StudentAid.gov). Do You Need Money for College or Career/Trade School? https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/do-you-need-money.pdf. October 2025 edition (PDF). Checked .
- Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education (StudentAid.gov). FAFSA® Application Deadlines. https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/fafsa-deadlines. no edition stated (2027–28 and 2026–27 deadlines). Checked .
- Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education (StudentAid.gov). How Financial Aid Is Calculated. https://studentaid.gov/complete-aid-process/how-calculated. no edition stated. Checked .
- Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education (StudentAid.gov). Federal Pell Grants. https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/grants/pell. no edition stated (2026–27 award year amount). Checked .
- Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education (StudentAid.gov). Direct Subsidized and Direct Unsubsidized Loans. https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized. no edition stated. Checked .
- Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education (StudentAid.gov). Interest Rates and Fees for Federal Student Loans. https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/interest-rates. no edition stated (rates for loans first disbursed July 1, 2026, to before July 1, 2027). Checked .
- Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education (StudentAid.gov). How To Evaluate Your Aid Offers. https://studentaid.gov/articles/evaluating-financial-aid-offers/. no edition stated. Checked .
- Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education (StudentAid.gov). Work-Study Jobs. https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/work-study. no edition stated. Checked .
- College Board (CSS Profile). About CSS Profile. https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/about. no edition stated. Checked .
- College Board (CSS Profile). Complete the Application. https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/complete-application. no edition stated. Checked .
- College Board (CSS Profile). Fee Waivers. https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/fee-waivers. no edition stated. Checked .
- College Board (CSS Profile). International Applicants. https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/international-applicants. no edition stated. Checked .
- Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education (StudentAid.gov). Finding and Applying for Scholarships. https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/scholarships. no edition stated. Checked .
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Consumer Advice. How To Avoid Scholarship and Financial Aid Scams. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scholarship-and-financial-aid-scams. May 2021. Checked .
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education. Net Price Calculator Information Center. https://nces.ed.gov/Ipeds/report-your-data/resource-center-net-price. no edition stated. Checked .
- U.S. Department of Education (College Affordability and Transparency Center). Net Price Calculator Center. https://collegecost.ed.gov/net-price. no edition stated. Checked .
- Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education (StudentAid.gov). Eligibility for Non-U.S. Citizens. https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/eligibility/requirements/non-us-citizens. no edition stated. Checked .
Format: Publisher. Page title. URL. Edition or catalog year. Checked date.