FEDERAL STUDENT AID AT A GLANCE 2019–20

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WHAT is federal student aid? 

Federal student aid comes from the federal government— 

specifcally, the U.S. Department of Education. It’s money that 

helps a student pay for higher education expenses (i.e., college, 

career school, or graduate school expenses). 

Federal student aid covers such expenses as tuition and fees, 

room and board, books and supplies, and transportation. 

There are three main categories of federal student aid: grants, 

work-study, and loans. Check with your school’s fnancial aid 

offce to fnd out which programs the school participates in. 

WHO gets federal student aid? 

Some of the most basic eligibility requirements for students are 

that you must 

• demonstrate fnancial need (for most programs—to 

learn more about fnancial need, visit 

StudentAid.gov/how-calculated); 

• be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen; 

• have a valid Social Security number; 

• be registered with Selective Service, if you’re a male 

(you must register between the ages of 18 and 25); 

• be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an eligible 

degree or certifcate program; 

• be enrolled at least half-time (for most programs); 

• maintain satisfactory academic progress in college, 

career school, or graduate school; and 

• show you’re qualifed to obtain a college or career 

school education by 

▪ having a high school diploma or a state-recognized 

equivalent (for example the General Educational 

Development [GED] certifcate); or 

▪ completing a high school education in a home-school 

setting approved under state law; or 

▪ enrolling in an eligible career pathways program. 

See the full list of eligibility requirements 

at StudentAid.gov/eligibility. 

HOW do you apply for federal student aid? 

1. To apply for federal student aid, you need to complete the 

FAFSA® form at fafsa.gov. The FAFSA form is available every 

Oct. 1 for the next school year. If you plan to attend college 

from July 1, 2019–June 30, 2020, submit a 2019–20 

FAFSA form. Fill it out as soon as possible to meet school 

and state deadlines. Schools and states often use FAFSA 

information to award nonfederal aid, but their deadlines 

vary. Check with the schools that you’re interested in for 

their deadlines, and fnd state and federal FAFSA deadlines 

at StudentAid.gov/fafsa#deadlines. 

2. Students and parents are required to use an FSA ID (a 

username and password combination) to sign their FAFSA 

form online and to access information about their fnancial 

aid on U.S. Department of Education websites. Your FSA ID 

is used to confrm your identity and electronically sign your 

federal student aid documents. Your FSA ID has the same 

legal status as a written signature. Don’t give your FSA ID 

to anyone or allow anyone to create an FSA ID for you. To 

create an FSA ID, visit StudentAid.gov/fsaid. 

3. After you apply, you’ll receive a Student Aid Report, or 

SAR. Your SAR contains the information reported on your 

FAFSA form and usually includes your Expected Family 

Contribution (EFC). The EFC is a number (not a dollar 

amount) used to determine your eligibility for federal 

student aid. Review your SAR information to make sure it’s 

correct. The school(s) you list on your FAFSA form will get 

your SAR data electronically. 

4. Contact the school(s) you might attend. Make sure the 

fnancial aid offce at each school you’re interested in has 

all the information needed to determine your eligibility. If 

you’re eligible, each school’s fnancial aid offce will send 

you an aid offer showing the amount and types of aid (from 

all sources) the school will offer you. You can compare the 

aid offers you received and see which school is the most 

affordable once fnancial aid is taken into account. 

Completing and submitting the FAFSA form is free and quick, 

and it gives you access to the largest sources of fnancial 

aid to pay for college or career school—federal, state, and 

school sources. If you need a print-out of the FAFSA PDF, call 

1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or 334-523-2691 (TTY fo

the deaf or hard of hearing 1-800-730-8913). 

r 

HAVE QUESTIONS? 

Contact or visit the following: 

• StudentAid.gov 

• a college financial aid office 

• studentaid@ed.gov 

• 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) toll-free 

• 1-800-730-8913 (toll-free TTY for the deaf 

or hard of hearing) 
FEDERAL STUDENT AID AT A GLANCE 

Program and Type of Aid Program Information Annual Award Amount 

(subject to change) 

Federal Pell Grant 

Grant: does not have to be repaid 

For undergraduates with fnancial need who have not earned bachelor’s or 

professional degrees. For details and updates, visit StudentAid.gov/pell-grant. 

Amounts can change annually. For 

2018–19 (July 1, 2018, to June 30, 

2019), the award amount is up to 

$6,095. 

Federal Supplemental Educational 

Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) 

Grant: does not have to be repaid 

For undergraduates with exceptional fnancial need; Federal Pell Grant recipients 

take priority; funds depend on availability at school. 

For details and updates, visit StudentAid.gov/fseog. 

Up to $4,000. 

Teacher Education Assistance 

for College and Higher Education 

(TEACH) Grant 

Grant: does not have to be repaid 

unless converted to a Direct 

Unsubsidized Loan for failure 

to carry out teaching service 

obligation as promised 

For undergraduate, postbaccalaureate, and graduate students who are 

completing or plan to complete course work needed to begin a career in teaching. 

To receive a TEACH Grant, a student must agree to teach for four years in a 

high-need feld at an elementary school, secondary school, or educational service 

agency that serves low-income families. 

If a student doesn’t complete the teaching service requirement, all TEACH Grants 

the student received will be converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan that must be 

repaid, with interest. For details and updates, visit StudentAid.gov/teach. 

Up to $4,000. 

Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant For undergraduate students who are not Pell-eligible and whose parent or 

guardian died as a result of military service in Iraq or Afghanistan after the events 

The grant award can be equal to the 

maximum Federal Pell Grant amount 

Grant: does not have to be repaid of 9/11. For details and updates, visit StudentAid.gov/iraq-afghanistan. (see above) but cannot exceed your 

cost of attending school. 

Federal Work-Study 

Work-Study: money is earned 

through a job and doesn’t have to 

be repaid 

For undergraduate and graduate students; part-time jobs can be on campus or 

off campus. Money is earned while attending school. 

Your total work-study award depends on 

• when you apply, 

• your level of fnancial need, and 

• your school’s funding level. 

For details and updates, visit StudentAid.gov/workstudy. 

No annual minimum or maximum 

amounts. 

Direct Subsidized Loan 

Loan: must be repaid with interest 

For undergraduate students who have fnancial need; U.S. Department of 

Education generally pays interest while the student is in school and during certain 

other periods; a student must be enrolled at least half-time. 

Interest rates for new Direct Subsidized Loans can change every year. Loans 

made to undergraduate students during the 2018–19 award year have the rate 

fxed at 5.05% for the life of the loan. 

Up to $5,500 depending on grade 

level and dependency status. 

For details and updates, visit 

StudentAid.gov/sub-unsub. 

Direct Unsubsidized Loan 

Loan: must be repaid with interest 

For undergraduate and graduate or professional students; the borrower is 

responsible for interest during all periods; a student must be enrolled at least halftime; fnancial need is not required. 

For undergraduate students: Interest rates for new Direct Unsubsidized Loans can 

change every year. Loans made to undergraduate students during the 2018–19 

award year have the rate fxed at 5.05% for the life of the loan. 

For graduate or professional students: Interest rates for new Direct Unsubsidized 

Loans can change every year. Loans made to graduate or professional students 

during the 2018–19 award year have the rate fxed at 6.6% for the life of the loan. 

Up to $20,500 (less any subsidized 

amounts received for same period), 

depending on grade level and 

dependency status. 

For details and updates, visit 

StudentAid.gov/sub-unsub. 

Direct PLUS Loan 

Loan: must be repaid with interest 

For parents of dependent undergraduate students and for graduate or 

professional students; the borrower is responsible for interest during all periods; 

a student must be enrolled at least half-time; fnancial need is not required; the 

borrower must not have an adverse credit history. 

Interest rates for new Direct PLUS Loans can change every year. Loans made 

during the 2018–19 award year have the rate fxed at 7.6% for the life of the loan. 

Maximum amount is the cost of 

attendance minus any other fnancial 

aid received. 

For details and updates, visit 

StudentAid.gov/plus. 

Note: The information in this document was compiled in summer 2018. For updates or additional information, visit StudentAid.gov. 

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2019–20 ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MORE SOURCES OF FREE MONEY? 

Try StudentAid.gov/scholarships for tips on where to look and for a link to a free online scholarship search. 

OCTOBER 2018