Credible
Get Rates
  • Refinance Student Loans
    • Compare Options
      • Best Refinancing Companies
      • Lender Reviews
      • Refinance Student Loans
      • Student Loan Consolidation
    • Learn the Basics
      • Fixed vs. Variable Rates
      • Forgiveness Programs
      • Consolidation vs Refinancing
      • Repayment Plans
      • More on Student Refi
    • How to
      • Consolidate Your Student Loans
      • Pay Off Your Student Loans
      • Lower Your Interest Rate
    • Tools
      • Current Student Loan Refi Rates
      • Refinancing Calculator
      • Repayment Calculator
      • Student Loan Score Calculator
  • Student Loans
    • Compare Options
      • Private Student Loans
      • Parent Student Loans
      • Law School Loans
      • Medical School Loans
      • Graduate Student Loans
    • Learn the Basics
      • Student Loan Limits
      • Living Expenses
      • Applying for FAFSA
      • Federal Student Loans
      • Student Loan Interest Rates
      • More on Student Loans
    • How To
      • Pay for College
      • Take Out Student Loans
      • Apply Without Cosigner
      • Apply for Student Loans
      • Pay for Grad School
    • Tools
      • Best Private Student Loans
      • Current Student Loan Rates
      • Student Loan Interest Calculator: Estimate Payments
      • Lender Reviews
  • Personal Loans
    • Compare Options
      • Best Personal Loan Lenders
      • Lender Reviews
      • Get Personal Loan Rates
    • Learn the Basics
      • How to Qualify
      • How to Get a Loan
      • Where to Get a Loan
      • Personal Loans with Cosigner
      • Pay Off Credit Card Debt
      • More on Personal Loans
    • Best for
      • Credit Card Consolidation
      • Debt Consolidation Loans
      • Home Improvement Loans
      • Good Credit
      • Fair Credit
      • Bad Credit
    • Tools
      • Current Personal Loan Rates
      • Personal Loan Calculator
  • Mortgages
    • Compare Options
      • Mortgage Refinance
      • Home Loan
      • Best Mortgage Refinance Companies
      • Best Mortgage Lenders
      • Mortgage Preapproval
      • Mortgage Payment Calculator
    • Compare Rates
      • Mortgage Refinance Rates
      • 30-Year Fixed Refinance Rates
      • 15-Year Fixed Refinance Rates
      • Home Loan Rates
      • 15-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates
      • 30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates
    • Learn the Basics
      • How to Buy a House
      • How to Refinance Your Mortgage
      • How to Get the Best Rate
      • Cash-Out Refinancing
      • More on Home Loans and Refi
    • Pay Off Mortgage
      • Home Equity to Pay Off Debt
      • Paying Off Mortgage Early
      • Mortgage Refinance Cost
  • Insurance
    • Insurance Products
      • Insurance Products
      • Learn more about home insurance
    • Compare Options
      • Compare Insurance Quotes
      • Home Insurance Guide
    • Learn the Basics
      • What Home Insurance Covers
      • How Much Home Insurance You Need
      • Estimate Your Home Replacement Cost
      • How to Change Home Insurance
  • Company
    • About
    • Reviews
    • Blog
    • Lenders
    • Editorial Guidelines
    • FAQs
    • Press
  • Find My Rate
Advertiser Disclosure

Every College You Might be Interested in Should be on Your FAFSA

Matt Carter Matt Carter Published September 27, 2016 | Updated January 12, 2022

Our goal is to give you the tools and confidence you need to improve your finances. Although we receive compensation from our partner lenders, whom we will always identify, all opinions are our own. Credible Operations, Inc. NMLS # 1681276, is referred to here as "Credible."

Here’s an alarming statistic from Nicole Callahan at the Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid: Two-thirds of high school students heading off to college for the first time list only one college on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

You wouldn’t dream of applying to just one college, right? Even though application fees average $40 and many schools charge $75 or more, it’s unusual for students to put all of their college eggs in one basket.

The FAFSA is free

It costs nothing to fill out the FAFSA — plus, it’s your ticket not only to federal student aid, but financial aid from your state, colleges and other scholarship programs.

You can provide your FAFSA information to all the schools you have any interest in attending, even though there’s only room for 10 schools on the form. If you want to provide your FAFSA info to more than 10 schools, just follow these steps.

So why do so many FAFSA applicants list only one college, when it would cost them nothing to add all the schools they might be considering?

If you’re afraid that adding more schools will hurt your chances with the ones you really want to go to, don’t be.

List all of the colleges you might want to attend

“Colleges can’t see the other schools you’ve added, so you should add ANY college you are considering to your FAFSA, even if you aren’t sure whether you’ll apply or be accepted,” Callahan says. “It doesn’t hurt your application to add more schools.”

To get a better idea of which colleges might be a good fit for you, see our list of college guides and rankings, and our roundup of tools for evaluating “college ROI” (return on investment — how the expected costs of getting a degree from a particular school stack up against future earnings potential).

Callahan’s got a bunch of other tips for FAFSA filing season, which is opening up on Oct. 1 — three months earlier than used to be the case. The new FAFSA timeline means students may get aid offers from schools they’re accepted to sooner, giving them additional time to consider the actual cost while they’re still researching their options.

The information you provide about your family’s income on the FAFSA is shared with the colleges you’re interested in, and determines not only what aid you qualify for at each school, but your expected family contribution toward the cost of your education.

First-come, first-served financial aid

Keep in mind states and schools set their own FAFSA deadlines. At California State University Fresno, for example, incoming freshmen have until Nov. 30 to apply for admission in the fall of 2017, and the priority deadline for FAFSA submissions is March 2, 2017.

Financial aid is often provided first-come, first-served basis, so Callahan advises to fill out the FAFSA as soon as possible.

If you’re planning to file your FAFSA on or near Oct. 1, Callahan has another good piece of advice: Go get your FSA ID now. It can take up to three days before you’ll be able to use it. Your parent will need an FSA ID too if you’re a dependent student.

For more tips on filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, see Credible’s free FAFSA guide. 

Check out: Apply for College With the Common App: Guide and FAQ

 

About the author
Matt Carter
Matt Carter

Matt Carter is an expert on student loans. Analysis pieces he’s contributed to have been featured by CNBC, CNN Money, USA Today, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.

Read More

Home » All » Student Loans » Every College You Might be Interested in Should be on Your FAFSA

Financial Aid & FAFSA


  • How to Apply for FAFSA
  • How to Qualify for Financial Aid
  • Expected Family Contribution
  • Independent vs. Dependent Student

Student Loan Basics

  • How to Qualify for a Student Loan
  • When to Apply for a Student Loan
  • How to Apply for Student Loans
  • How to Apply for FAFSA

Tools and Resources

  • Find a Private Student Loan
  • Best Private Student Loans
  • Current Student Loan Rates
  • Average Cost of College
  • Find a Student Loan Cosigner
  • Lender Reviews
  • Student Loan Calculator

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related Articles

Student Loans

What Is a Student Aid Report?

Student Loans

How to Get a Student Loan for Online College

Student Loans

How to Apply for FAFSA 2022-23: Deadlines, Tips, and FAQs

  • Read More
    • Refi Student Loans
    • In School Loans
    • Personal Loans
    • Mortgages
    • Insurance
  • Resources
    • Lender Reviews
    • Loan Calculators
    • Student Loan Score Calculator
    • Data Insights
    • Debt Statistics
    • Sitemap
  • Compare
    • Student Loan Refinance
      • Current Student Loan Refi Rates
    • Student Loan Consolidation
    • Private Student Loans
      • Current Student Loan Rates
    • Personal Loans
      • Current Personal Loan Rates
    • Refinance Mortgage
      • Mortgage Refinance Rates
        • 15-Year Fixed Refinance Rates
        • 30-Year Fixed Refinance Rates
    • Home Loans
      • Home Loan Rates
        • 15-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates
        • 30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates
    • Insurance
  • Top Lenders
    • Best Student Loan Refi Companies
    • Best Private Student Loans
    • Best Personal Loans
    • Best Mortgage Lenders
    • Best Mortgage Refinance Companies
  • Company
    • About
    • Reviews
    • Blog
    • Editorial Staff
    • Editorial Guidelines
    • News
    • Press
  • Legal
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© 2023 Credible


Credible Operations, Inc. NMLS ID# 1681276 | NMLS Consumer Access | Licenses and Disclosures
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.