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Paying for College

Free Application for Federal Student Aid

The most important form in applying for financial aid is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, usually just called the FAFSA. The information on the FAFSA determines how much aid you can receive from federal sources and KHEAA programs. The results are automatically sent to KHEAA and the colleges you list on the FAFSA.

The best way to submit the FAFSA is at studentaid.gov/fafsa-app/ROLES. Make sure you use the .gov site. Other sites will ask you to pay to submit the FAFSA. You don’t have to pay. The FAFSA is free. KHEAA has an online FAFSA Completion Guide 2023-2024 that can help you.

Filing the FAFSA online results in fewer errors and quicker results. Much of the information for the FAFSA can be automatically transferred from federal tax returns.

You can use a FAFSA on the Web worksheet to organize all your information before you go online to submit the FAFSA. If you find out while filing the FAFSA that you're missing some information, you can save the FAFSA and finish it after you find the information you need.

You’ll need the following information for the FAFSA:

  • Your Social Security number.
  • Your driver’s license number.
  • The W-2 forms and other records of money earned from two years ago (for example, if you're filing for the 2022-23 academic year, you'll need your 2020 income and tax returns).
  • Your tax returns (and your spouse’s, if you’re married).
  • Your parents’ most recent tax return (if you’re a dependent student).
  • Your untaxed income records.
  • Your current bank statements.
  • Your current business and investment information.
  • Your alien registration or permanent resident card (if you’re not a U.S. citizen).