Q: If I apply for the FAFSA, will this make me eligible for all FAFSA scholarships offered to college students?
A: FAFSA (Free Application For Federal Student Aid) is a students “gateway” to federal and state grants for college, federal student loans for college, and federal work-study opportunities. Filing the FAFSA will not evaluate a student’s eligibility for any scholarships for college. There are no such things as FAFSA scholarships. Students may easily confuse grants with scholarships, because the two are similar in that they offer free money for college. However, students who need money for college must understand that filing the FAFSA and applying for scholarships will be done separately.
College students are encouraged to apply for as many scholarships as they qualify for since this provides you with free money for college. To get started learning about scholarships for college, please view the following: How to Find College Scholarships 101. Filing a FAFSA is a something that should be done by every college student in need of money for college. Even if you assume (or are told) that you will not qualify for federal financial aid for college, it is still recommended that you file a FAFSA. Filing the FAFSA is free, and students have nothing to lose by filing. To learn more about the FAFSA you can read StudentLoansForCollege.org’s Free eGuide: FAFSA: It’s Not Really That Difficult or visit www.fafsa.gov.
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