Some colleges are need-blind, while others only consider financial need when filling the last spots or pulling from the waitlist. But colleges want to admit their best applicants, and if you need financial aid in order to afford a school, you should apply. …

We answer common questions about applying for financial aid and completing the FAFSA, including who submits the FAFSA, when the FAFSA is due, when you can start completing the FAFSA, what tax year the FAFSA is based on, and how to report 529 accounts on the FAFSA.…

Counselors can learn about the FAFSA Completion Tool, what it shows you, how to use and access it, and how this tool can help you take school-wide action when it comes to getting students to complete the FAFSA.…

Learn the steps to take to appeal, if you can ask for a larger merit scholarship, if you can appeal your offer each year, the recommended time to appeal, and more. …

Learn what classifies a college student as independent, including being married, older than 23, a veteran, or an emancipated minor, as well as how students can apply for a dependency override and common reasons that a college may grant a student independent status. …

Learn what you may see in a typical financial aid offer, including grants, scholarships, work-study, and subsidized and unsubsidized federal student loans. …

Learn how and where to declare 529 funds on the FAFSA and CSS Profile, which 529 accounts you should report, and how to report a 529 that is owned by someone other than the parent. …

Learn how to accept your financial aid offer, when you need to accept an offer by, when schools set their cost of attendance for the year, if outside scholarships impact merit scholarship awards, and more. …

Learn how to complete the FAFSA as a returning college student, including how to log in, which questions will be pre-populated, and how to submit the form to your school. …

To add schools to your FAFSA, log in to the application, navigate to the School Selection section, add new colleges to your list while making sure to remove any existing schools if necessary, and submit the application again. …