Free Help with Filing the FAFSA

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a free form. You do not need to pay someone to file the form on your behalf. If you have questions about the FAFSA, there are many sources of free help available.

The U.S. Department of Education sponsors the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC). The FSAIC operates a toll-free hotline to answer questions about federal student aid, the FSA ID and the FAFSA. The FSAIC can be reached by calling 1-800-433-3243 or 1-334-523-2691.

Hearing impaired people should call TTY 1-800-730-8913. The hotline is available from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET during the week and 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET on weekends, except for federal holidays, the day after Thanksgiving and December 24.

Questions that do not involve personal information can be sent by email to [email protected].

The online FAFSA provides context-sensitive help in the margin when you are completing the form. There is also a collection of frequently asked questions available at www.fafsa.ed.gov/help.htm. The U.S. Department of Education also hosts periodic Twitter chats via the hashtag #AskFAFSA and @FAFSA.

Also, College Goal Sunday, now known as Form Your Future, provides free one-on-one help for completing the FAFSA. Programs are held in the evenings and on weekends. College Goal Sunday is sponsored by the National College Access Network (NCAN) and the Kresge Foundation. To find events in your area, visit formyourfuture.org, click on “Host an Event” and use the “Find More Resources and Events” tool at the bottom of the page.

Filing the FAFSA, a book written by Mark Kantrowitz and David Levy, is available for free download in PDF format. It provides step-by-step help in completing the form. Your guidance counselor or financial aid administrator can answer questions about the FAFSA as well.