1. Key points

  • The FAFSA is free; the official site is StudentAid.gov.
  • Fill it out every year you want aid.
  • State and school deadlines can be earlier than the federal one.
  • Grants generally don't need to be repaid; loans do.

2. What you need

A StudentAid.gov account (FSA ID), tax information, and contributor information such as a parent's for dependent students.