Learn about updates to FAFSA and read this guide to completing it.
Applying for Need-Based Aid
Help paying for colleges is available in the form of financial aid and scholarships. The total cost of college to you and your family may not be as high as it seems at first glance. You must be diligent in researching your potential colleges’ offerings. While all colleges offer financial aid packages based on need, some colleges and organizations offer money based on academic performance or merit. Financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so it is best to apply as early as possible.
PARENTS: Are you divorced or separated and unsure which parent to list on the FAFSA?
FAFSA Parent Wizard
A student may need to ask their parent(s) to provide information on their FAFSA form based on their dependency status. If the student is a dependent, they may need to report their parents’ information.
The FAFSA Parent Wizard is a tool that simplifies FAFSA form completion by helping families determine which parent(s) should contribute to a student's FAFSA form. This clarity can help families navigate this crucial step with confidence and ensure accurate information is submitted for the student's FAFSA form.
Most colleges provide financial aid packages that are a combination of Grants or Scholarships (money that does not need to be paid back), Loans (usually paid back after graduation) and Work-Study (which requires the student to earn money by working on campus). You have to work in order to earn the work-study money, meaning it will not automatically be placed in your student account at the beginning of the semester.
FAFSA. In order to be eligible for need-based financial aid at any college, you will be required to complete FAFSA (fafsa.ed.gov). This application becomes available on October 1st. FAFSA will calculate your Student Aid Index (SAI) which will be used by colleges to determine your eligibility for aid. Colleges will try to bridge the gap between your EFC and their tuition (and room and board), but many are not able to. To complete FAFSA, parents and student will need to register for an FSA ID.
CSS PROFILE. In order to be eligible for need-based financial aid at some colleges, the CSS Profile (available through the College Board) is required by certain colleges and becomes available on October 1st. The CSS Profile asks detailed questions about your family’s financial profile. Unlike FAFSA, there is a fee to register and additional fees to submit the CSS Profile to each school. Fee waivers are automatically applied if they determine that you qualify.
Related Resources
2025–26 FAFSA Roadmap—Highlights key dates for the FAFSA form launch, as well as timelines for the release of resources to assist our partners.
2025–26 FAFSA Preview Presentation—Provides financial aid administrators, advisors The presentation deck contains screenshots that highlight changes to the online 2025–26 FAFSA form.
2025–26 FAFSA Prototype—Provides the financial aid community an advance opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the FAFSA user experience ahead of its broad release.
Federal Student Aid Estimator—Provides an estimate of the 2025–26 Student Aid Index (SAI) and Federal Pell Grant eligibility calculation.
“Who’s the Parent on the FAFSA Form?” Wizard—A new, stand-alone tool to help students and families determine who will need to provide contributor information on the 2025–26 FAFSA form prior to starting the application.
“Creating Your StudentAid.gov Account” Page—A new resource that explains everything families and partners need to know about creating a StudentAid.gov account.
Pro Tips for Completing the FAFSA Form—Updated tips for preparing to fill out and submitting the FAFSA form. This resource will also be linked from the StudentAid.gov Dashboard to promote easier access for students and their required contributor(s).
Federal Student Aid YouTube Channel: FAFSA Videos—Updated videos to help students and families understand the importance of the FAFSA form, who is a FAFSA contributor, and what happens after submitting the form.
Test Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) Data Files—Additional datasets for use in the development and testing of student aid system software.
Other resources: Sallie Mae offers a number of helpful resources for general financial aid information, comparing award letters, and scholarship information.
The New York Time has a Student Loan Repayment Calculator to help you understand more about debt and repayment timelines.
SUNY has compiled a number of financial aid resources, known as Smart Track.
Most colleges provide financial aid packages that are a combination of Grants or Scholarships (money that does not need to be paid back), Loans (usually paid back after graduation) and Work-Study (which requires the student to earn money by working on campus). You have to work in order to earn the work-study money, meaning it will not automatically be placed in your student account at the beginning of the semester.
FAFSA. In order to be eligible for need-based financial aid at any college, you will be required to complete FAFSA (fafsa.ed.gov). This application becomes available on October 1st. FAFSA will calculate your Student Aid Index (SAI) which will be used by colleges to determine your eligibility for aid. Colleges will try to bridge the gap between your EFC and their tuition (and room and board), but many are not able to. To complete FAFSA, parents and student will need to register for an FSA ID.
CSS PROFILE. In order to be eligible for need-based financial aid at some colleges, the CSS Profile (available through the College Board) is required by certain colleges and becomes available on October 1st. The CSS Profile asks detailed questions about your family’s financial profile. Unlike FAFSA, there is a fee to register and additional fees to submit the CSS Profile to each school. Fee waivers are automatically applied if they determine that you qualify.
Related Resources
Other resources: Sallie Mae offers a number of helpful resources for general financial aid information, comparing award letters, and scholarship information.
The New York Time has a Student Loan Repayment Calculator to help you understand more about debt and repayment timelines.
SUNY has compiled a number of financial aid resources, known as Smart Track.
Applying for Merit-Based Aid and Scholarships
Scholarships, in some form or fashion, are what can make a higher-cost college ultimately affordable. The largest providers of scholarships are colleges themselves through merit-based aid.
Students who are in the top percentage of a particular college’s applicant pool are often awarded large sums of gifted aid to entice them to attend. Some colleges publish details about the percentage of applicants who are awarded this kind of aid, and what their requirements are (i.e. test scores and GPA). Often, colleges require students to apply by an earlier deadline, or submit separate applications to be considered. In the same way that you research colleges and their academic offerings and admissions requirements, it is important to be aware of their financial aid offerings and requirements as well. The financial resources of each school may vary, so don’t prematurely discount a school based solely on their sticker price. See what you can get from scholarships and financial aid before you decide whether or not you can afford it. Don’t forget that in-state public schools are great options that start at a lower cost.
Students can also seek funding from outside sources through scholarship applications. These applications vary greatly in terms of qualifications (grades, talents, background/ethnicity, leadership, prospective major, etc.) and amount. These scholarships may carry certain obligations (GPA), and may or may not be renewable over the course of your education.
While you can apply for scholarships at any time, we recommend that you first concentrate on your college applications. Scholarship applications can be time-consuming and require multiple essays. Helpful places to start may be through parent employers as well as the College Office Weekly Bulletin. Watch out for scholarships that may be scams or marketing tools.
For reputable scholarship resources, check out:
UNCF (HBCU-specific)
Affordable Colleges (HBCU-specific)
Colleges of Distinction (recurring scholarships by deadline date)
Standout College Prep (NY-specific)
Resources for Undocumented Students
For students born outside the U.S. who do not have citizenship or legal residency, it can be challenging to navigate the financial aid application process. We’ve compiled some general information and resources to provide information and opportunities on financing your college education.
FAFSA Financial Aid and Undocumented Students Q&A
SUNY Resources for Undocumented Students
CUNY Undocumented Student Support
Big Future's 6 Things Undocumented Students Need to Know About College
Amherst College (MA)
Barnard College (NY)
Bates College (ME)
Boston College (MA)
Boston University (MA)
Brown University (RI)
Bryn Mawr College (PA)
Bowdoin College (ME
California Institute of Technology
Carleton College (MN)
Claremont McKenna College (CA)
Clark University (MA)
Colby College (ME)
Colgate University (NY)
College of the Holy Cross (MA)
College of Wooster (OH)
Colorado College (CO)
Columbia University (NY)
Connecticut College (CT)
Cornell University (NY)
Davidson College (NC)
Denison University (OH)
Dickinson College (PA)
Duke University (NC)
Dartmouth College (NH)
Emory University (GA)
Franklin and Marshall College (PA)
Franklin W. Olin College
Georgetown University (DC)
Gettysburg College (PA)
Grinnell College (IA)
Hamilton College (NY)
Harvey Mudd College (CA)
Haverford College (PA)
Harvard University (MA)
Johns Hopkins University (MD)
Kenyon College (OH)
Lafayette College (PA)
Lehigh University (PA)
Macalester College (MN)
MIT (MA)
Middlebury College (VT)
Mount Holyoke College (MA)
Northwestern University (IL)
Northeastern University (MA)
Oberlin College (OH)
Occidental College (CA)
Pitzer College (CA)
Pomona College (CA)
Princeton University (NJ)
Reed College (OR)
Rice University (TX)
Saint John’s College (NM)
Saint Olaf College (MN)
Scripps College (CA)
Sewanee (TN)
Smith College (MA)
Stanford University (CA)
Swarthmore College (PA)
Thomas Aquinas College (CA)
Trinity College (CT)
Tufts University (MA)
Tulane University (LA)
Union College (NY)
University of Chicago (IL)
University of Notre Dame (IN)
University of Pennsylvania (PA)
University of Richmond (VA)
University of Rochester (NY)
University of Southern California
Vanderbilt University (TN)
Vassar College (NY)
Wabash College (IN)
Wake Forest University (NC)
Washington and Lee University (VA)
Washington University, St. Louis, (MO)
Wellesley College (MA)
Wesleyan University (CT)
Williams College (MA)
Wheaton College (MA)
Yale University (CT)
Colleges That Meet Full Demonstrated Need
** schools in bold meet >94% demonstrated need