Good news Lakers! The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) for the 2025-26 school year has officially opened up to the public!
FAFSA®, established in 1992, serves as a way for qualifying students to be able to afford higher education. The application portion of the process determines whether students in the United States are eligible for student financial aid. Through the FAFSA® application process, current and incoming college students have the ability to apply for work-study programs, loans, and federal grants. College students in Illinois who fill out the FAFSA application are also eligible for a Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant as well.
A student’s need is determined by their Student Aid Index (SAI), which is on a scale from –1500 to 999999, with the former having the most need and the latter with the least amount of need. If a student has an SAI of –1500, they are eligible for the maximum amount that can be received for a Pell Grant during that given year. Additionally, Pell Grants do not need to be paid back as they are a grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education, and not a loan. The SAI number is not a set amount of money but instead used by financial aid professionals when cultivating an aid offer at the student’s college or career school of choice. Eligibility is found through tax information provided by contributors on the FAFSA® form. Contributors can be anything from a student’s biological parent, a guardian, or even in some circumstances, the student themselves.
Students can go to StudentAid.gov to apply for the FAFSA®. The application will be open from now until Jun. 30, 2025. Applications typically take anywhere from 3 – 5 days to be processed by the U.S. Department of Education.
Overall, the FAFSA® application is a way for colleges across the United States to understand a student’s financial need, opening doors for even more grants and scholarships to be provided to millions of college students, many of which come from low-income families. Every little bit will help, so make sure to take advantage of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid as soon as possible!
