Collage of students, money, calculators with our best advice logo

The Best Advice and Resources for Filling Out the FAFSA

Looking for FAFSA help? We've collected our best advice and links to some of our favorite resources. Find out everything you should know right here!

Make no mistake: the FAFSA is your free ticket to (potentially) free money for college and grad school. You have nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain from spending the 30 minutes it takes to fill it out. Time is of the essence too; students who file ASAP on or after October 1 get twice as much aid on average, because those dollars are first come, first served. So what are you waiting for? Oh, you’re waiting for help? Sure thing—we've gathered our best FAFSA advice on CollegeXpress, plus links to some of our other favorite resources. Check it all out below!

Filing the FAFSA

Financial aid terms you should know about

Getting the most aid possible

Other financial aid advice

Advice just for parents

Outside FAFSA resources

  • FAFSA Help: Straight from the horse’s mouth—and by “horse,” we mean US Department of Education’s website (the one and only place where you can complete the FAFSA form!).
  • Federal Student Aid: Beyond the FAFSA application site, the Department of Education covers a ton of common FAFSA questions on their website, like what to do if your parents are divorced.
  • Getting Ready to Tackle the FAFSA: This is just one of several helpful FAFSA articles by college guru Lynn O'Shaughnessy on her College Solutions blog (also a great site for general college admission help!).
  • Asking Questions About the FAFSA: The Federal Student Aid website also has a help center that allows you to ask questions that may not be the common question you find on FAQ pages.
  • Filing the FAFSA: When it comes to college financial aid advice, it doesn’t get much better than Mark Kantrowitz and David Levy, the brains behind Edvisors. Check out their most recent Guide to Filing the FAFSA now!
  • FAFSA Deadlines and FAQs: View a list of all the major deadlines and tips to secure extra funding for your academic pursuits in this up-to-date guide to filing the FAFSA by Ascent. They also discuss the benefits of applying early. 
  • Question-by-Question FAFSA Guide: If you want a really in-depth huide to filling out the FAFSA form, this one from NitroCollege.com walks through the whole thing one question at a time. 

You'll find plenty of tips online for filing the FAFSA, but really, we find you won't need much. The Department of Education's website tackles a lot of the more complicated questions, and if your parents need more help, they're probably better off talking to a financial aid rep at your (intended) college and/or a professional financial advisor. But if you know of any killer financial aid advice or other resources we should check out, let us know by emailing feedback@collegexpress.com

Learn more about scholarships, grants, loans, and other ways to pay for college in our Financial Aid section. 

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress
Cameron Lee

Cameron Lee

High School Class of 2022

I used CollegeXpress to search for colleges. It helped me narrow down the schools on the West Coast and which schools had Construction Engineering programs. I made my decision to go to OSU and I am so excited about it.

Katelyn

Katelyn

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress gave me options of schools with my major and from there I was able to pick what was most important to me in a school. Everything was so organized that I could see all the information I needed.

Fernando Ponce

Fernando Ponce

High School Junior

College is a way of life that helps us find out who we are as a person, and CollegeXpress is a great way to stay connected with our future, even for students with little time on their hands due to the challenges of high school we face.

Rhiannon Teeter

Rhiannon Teeter

$2,000 Community Service Scholarship Winner, 2012

I have spent a lot of time aggressively searching for scholarships. It was a long and frustrating process until I found the CollegeXpress network. This site made my search so much easier. With the simple check of a few boxes, the site sorted out scholarships I was eligible for and led me directly to the correct websites. Winning this scholarship has definitely given me and my family some financial relief, and CollegeXpress has allowed me to improve my chances of winning further financial aid. Thank you so much!

Bri'Yana Brown-Dunn

Bri'Yana Brown-Dunn

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress helped me gain interest in many colleges/universities and many scholarships. I would say the most helpful thing CollegeXpress has done for me is sending me emails that tell me certain types of colleges are interested in me as well as emails about scholarships that I can look at and possibly apply for.

College Matches
X

Colleges You May Be Interested In

Trine University

Angola, IN

SUNY Maritime College

Throggs Neck, NY