Regardless of your financial level and whether you’ll be a first-year student or a senior, if you’re planning on going to college next year, you should be filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA opened their application on October 1, and if you haven’t done it yet, make this your top priority—right now. It can be a tedious and intimidating process, but don’t put it off! To make sure you’re getting all the financial aid possible, here are five FAFSA pitfalls you should avoid.
1. Not completing the FAFSA
The biggest mistake you can make is skipping the FAFSA altogether. Some students might think the FAFSA is only there for students with pressing financial needs, but that isn’t true. While income is one of the factors used to determine the amount of aid you’ll receive, the number of children in a family and how many are enrolled in college at the same time is also considered. According to a survey by the National College Access Network (NCAN), only 46% of high school students in the Class of 2024 filed the FAFSA, and that number is even less with low-income students. The NCAN also reports that over the past few years, over $7.5 billion in Pell Grants have gone unclaimed. By spending just an hour filling out the FAFSA, you could help make college more affordable for you and your family, so why not take the time?
Related: Financial Aid Application Mistakes Can Cost You
2. Completing the wrong form
The FAFSA can be found on the official government website studentaid.gov (or fafsa.gov). You should never have to pay or put in credit card information to file the FAFSA. In addition, make sure you are completing the form for the correct year. If you are currently enrolled as a high school senior for the 2024–2025 school year, be sure to select the form for the 2025–2026 year (when you will be in college). Otherwise, you won’t qualify for financial aid, regardless of whether or not you filled out everything correctly.
3. Waiting too long to file
By not acting as soon as a new FAFSA opens, you could miss out on aid from organizations that give out grants and scholarships. Many times, money is doled out on a first-come, first-served basis, so if you wait too long, the best aid could be gone. Many organizations that give out financial aid tend to have tighter deadlines, so if you file early, you have a better chance of getting more significant scholarships from various foundations, agencies, or schools. Some state agencies have winter deadlines, so check the FAFSA deadline list found on the US Department of Education’s website.
Related: 5 Little-Known Secrets to Getting More Gift Aid for College
4. Leaving out schools
If you’ve started to fill out the FAFSA, you may have noticed that you can add 20 schools to the application. These colleges will automatically receive your FAFSA results when they're ready so they can create a financial aid package after you apply and get accepted. After submitting the form and receiving your FAFSA Submission Summary (formerly called a Student Aid Report, or SAR), you can send all the information to more schools. But it’s important to note that any school codes you add to your FAFSA will replace one of the codes already listed. Once you make that change, any college dropped from your list will not have automatic access to any new information you provide after you remove it. However, your previous information will not be deleted from the college’s system.
5. Giving up
The application process can be long and difficult for those who are filing for the first time. Completing the FAFSA can have an impact on whether or not you stay enrolled in college. According to the NCAN, high school graduates who file the FAFSA are 63% more likely to enroll in college than those who don’t fill it out.
Related: How to Fill Out the FAFSA, Step-by-Step
Even if you think you won’t qualify for much financial aid, filling out the FAFSA can only help you. Most students are granted some form of aid, whether it be institutional scholarships, grants, or federal student loans. There are many options to help you pay for college, so don’t shortchange yourself simply based on assumptions.
Find more articles and advice on college aid and scholarships in our Financial Aid section.
