Can the FAFSA be used to apply for other types of Aid?

By filling out a FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, a student is able to determine if they are eligible for certain types of federal educational funding, such as grants, work study programs, loans and scholarships. However, many programs similar to these are available with other groups, organizations, and individual donors. Many students have wondered if the FAFSA can also be used to apply for non-federal programs. As with most complicated government issues, the short answer is yes, but with a very long “no.”

Technically, every time a student fills out a FAFSA, they are applying for programs with an organization that is non-governmental- the schools or universities they are applying to. Because each school usually has internal programs available for students with financial need, such as free grants, scholarships, and work study, information provided on the FAFSA is often used by schools to make determinations and awards for these types of programs.

However, the usefulness of the FAFSA stops there. Many other sources of educational funding are available- including sources of money for college that never has to be repaid like grants. These can be found with private individuals, professional associations, businesses, corporations, foundations, charitable organizations, state and city governments, and religious groups. But because each group has wildly differing requirements and programs, they all use their own forms and application processes.

So while it might seem like a pain that these types of programs can’t be integrated onto one form such as the FAFSA, it’s hardly worth complaining about. Many of the groups listed above offer total award amounts that far exceed what the federal government has to offer. So if it takes a little effort to find other sources outside of the USDE, it’s probably well worth it.

Smart students will simply copy the information from their completed FAFSA, import it to an Excel spreadsheet, and use that same information to easily cut and paste into applications for other sources. It’s a small price to pay for free money for school.