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FEDERAL STUDENT AID FOR ADULT STUDENTS

Are you an adult considering college? Do you need help paying your education expenses? 

Apply for federal student aid! 

What is Federal 

Student Aid?

Federal student aid from the 

U.S. Department of Education 

(ED) is money to help you pay 

your education expenses at a 

college, career school, university, 

or graduate school. We provide 

more than $150 billion in federal 

aid every year to those who 

qualify. This publication provides 

information about the types 

of federal student aid that are 

available, how to apply for aid, 

important deadlines to remember, 

some tips for what to do and what 

not to do, and more!

Myths and Facts About Federal Student Aid

MYTH: Adult students fall outside the age requirements to 

 receive federal student aid. 

FACT: There is no age limit. Almost everyone is eligible for 

 some type of federal student aid, including federal 

 student loans. 

MYTH: It costs money to apply for federal student aid. 

FACT: Applying is free at fafsa.gov! You should therefore 

 avoid companies charging a fee to complete the Free 

 Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®).

MYTH: You need to pass a credit check to receive federal 

 student aid.

FACT: No credit check is required to receive federal student 

 aid, including most federal student loans.

®
Types of Federal Student Aid

There are three categories of federal student aid: 

• Grants—Student aid funds that do not have to 

be repaid.* Most federal grants are based on 

financial need.

• Work-study—Money earned through a job on or 

near campus while attending school.

• Loans—Borrowed money that must be repaid

with interest.

For more information about federal student aid, 

including basic eligibility requirements, visit

StudentAid.gov/eligibility.

*Grants do not have to be repaid unless, for example, 

you are awarded funds incorrectly, you withdraw from 

school before the planned end of a term, or—if you 

have a TEACH Grant—you do not meet the terms of 

your service obligation.

Did you know?

In addition to using federal aid to pay for the 

usual expenses such as housing, transportation, 

books, tuition, and fees, you can use it to help 

pay for dependent care, the purchase of a 

personal computer, costs related to a disability, 

and more.

Apply for Federal Student Aid

The quickest way to apply for federal student aid 

is online at fafsa.gov, where you will find the Free 

Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA®. 

Learn more about completing your FAFSA at 

StudentAid.gov/fafsa.

Tip: Before starting to fill out your FAFSA, make 

sure to create your FSA ID—a username and 

password that is used to access ED’s websites. 

Your FSA ID is used to confirm your identity 

and electronically sign your federal student aid 

documents, including the FAFSA. To create an 

FSA ID, visit StudentAid.gov/fsaid.

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Important Deadlines

Know the deadlines. If you miss a financial aid 

deadline (federal, state, or school) you may miss out 

on aid.

FAFSA filing deadlines

You’ll need to apply for federal student aid every 

year. For example, if you are going to school during 

the 2016–17 school year (July 1, 2016–June 30, 

2017), then the last day you can submit your FAFSA 

is June 30, 2017. You will report income information 

from the 2015 tax year. 

NEW: Starting with the 2017–18 school year you 

can file your FAFSA as early as Oct. 1, 2016, rather 

than waiting until Jan. 1, 2017 to file. The chart on 

this page provides a summary of the key dates for 

submitting the FAFSA depending on when you plan 

to go to school.

State and school financial aid deadlines

Many schools and states use your FAFSA 

information to award state and college or career 

school aid, and some have deadlines as early as 

February for the following school year. To search 

for a state’s deadline, visit fafsa.gov. Remember, 

schools may use your FAFSA information to 

determine your eligibility for scholarships.

Note: If you file a federal tax return and you 

are using the online application or making 

corrections online, you have the option to have 

your income and tax information electronically 

transferred from the Internal Revenue Service 

(IRS) to your FAFSA.

Year You Will be 

Attending College (School Year)

Time Period for 

Submitting Your FAFSA

Year for Which Your Income 

Information is Required

July 1, 2016–June 30, 2017 Jan. 1, 2016–June 30, 2017 2015

July 1, 2017–June 30, 2018 Oct. 1, 2016–June 30, 2018 2015

July 1, 2018–June 30, 2019 Oct. 1, 2017–June 30, 2019 2016
What to Do and What Not to Do 

DO:

• Talk to an admissions counselor. Get to know 

the staff at the financial aid office at the 

school you plan to attend; they can help you 

with aid applications and explain the types of 

aid available.

• Know the difference between federal student 

loans and private loans. Federal student loans 

offer low, fixed interest rates and flexible 

repayment options, including income-based 

monthly payments. Generally, repayment of 

a federal student loan does not begin until 

after you leave school. To read more about the 

differences between federal and private loans, 

visit StudentAid.gov/federal-vs-private.

• Look into taking a high school equivalency test 

if you didn’t graduate high school. Different 

testing options include the General Educational 

Development (GED) certificate, the High 

School Equivalency Test (HiSET), and the 

Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC). 

Explore your options by searching online for 

“high school equivalency” along with your 

state’s name.

• Ask employers to recommend trade schools that 

provide training in the skills you will need for the 

career you choose.

• Be an informed consumer. Make sure the 

school you are planning to attend is accredited, 

and learn how to avoid being scammed. To 

get a basic understanding of accreditation in 

the United States and to learn more about 

fraudulent diploma mills, see 

www2.ed.gov/students/prep/college/diplomamills.

DON’T:

• Use all your retirement and emergency savings 

or risk losing your home with multiple home 

equity loans.

• Assume the answer to your question is “no.” 

Ask questions.

• Borrow more than you need. 

• Miss important deadlines.

Research Careers

If you are searching for a career or a school, or if 

you would like more information about careers and 

training, visit the following websites: 

• Find a career that fits your goals and your life by 

using the career search tool at StudentAid.gov

/careersearch.

• Find out about the training you will need for a 

particular job at www.careeronestop.org.

• Research careers and the demand for jobs in the 

Occupational Outlook Handbook at

www.bls.gov/ooh.

If you have been convicted for the possession or 

sale of illegal drugs and the offense occurred 

while you were receiving federal student aid, you 

will be ineligible for a period of time based on 

the type and number of convictions. For more 

information on drug-related convictions and 

federal aid, visit StudentAid.gov/eligibility

/criminal-convictions.

If you are incarcerated you have limited eligibility 

for federal student aid. If you are incarcerated 

in a federal or state institution, you are ineligible 

for Federal Pell Grants and for federal student 

loans. If you are incarcerated elsewhere, you 

can get a Pell Grant but not loans. For more 

help, check with the financial aid office at the 

school you plan on attending, or contact the 

Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC). 

See “Contact Us” on the back cover of this 

publication.

For more information, see the fact sheet Federal 

Student Aid Eligibility for Students Confined in 

Adult Correctional or Juvenile Justice Facilities

available at StudentAid.gov/resources.
Reduce Your Education Expenses

You can reduce your education expenses using the 

following resources:

• Scholarships–Check with the college you 

are planning to attend to find out if it offers 

scholarships. Also, search for scholarships for 

free at StudentAid.gov/scholarships. 

• Tax benefits–Read IRS Publication 970, Tax 

Benefits for Education, to see how you might 

benefit from federal income tax credits for 

education expenses.

• Your employer–Talk with your employer about 

tuition assistance. Some employers offer 

benefits to cover education expenses.

• Community college–Check into attending a 

community college, where tuition can be 

significantly lower than at four-year colleges, 

especially for in-state students.

• Choosing a program–Assess your needs before 

you apply for admission or register for courses. 

Make sure your classes fit your goals and count 

toward your degree or certificate.

• Part-time enrollment–Consider part-time 

enrollment if you are having difficulty paying for 

a full-time program, or if you have other work or 

family obligations that limit the time you have 

available to attend class and study. However, 

part-time enrollment may impact your eligibility 

for some types of federal student aid.

Important Tips

• Receiving military benefits. If you are a member 

of the U.S. armed forces or have a family 

member in the service, go to StudentAid.gov

/military to find out more about grants and loan 

repayment options for military personnel.

• Researching schools. Make sure to research 

your school options. The College Scorecard at 

collegescorecard.ed.gov provides an interactive 

tool to help you find and compare colleges. This 

information will help you select a school that 

best meets your needs.

• Transferring credits from one school to another.

If you plan to take classes with the goal of 

transferring your credits to another school, check 

with the registrar’s office at that school to make 

sure those credits are transferable.

• Returning to school after a break. If you have 

previously earned college credits, check with the 

registrar’s office at the school you plan to attend 

about transferring those credits. 

• Receiving credit for life experience. Many 

schools offer credit for life and work experiences. 

Check with the school to find out if this option 

is available.

• Taking admissions tests. Most colleges in 

the U.S. require that you submit scores from 

standardized tests as part of your application 

package. Contact the individual college 

admissions offices to find out which tests you 

should take for admission to each of those 

schools. For information about admissions tests, 

explore StudentAid.gov/prepare.

• Expecting to receive federal student aid. Make 

sure the school you plan to attend participates in 

the federal student aid programs if you want to 

use federal aid to pay for your education.
Resources

Federal Student Aid’s Website 

StudentAid.gov

Get detailed information about federal student aid 

and learn more about preparing for college. You’ll 

find information about the types of postsecondary 

schools in the U.S., the kinds of degrees and 

credentials they offer (associate degree, bachelor’s 

degree, master’s degree, etc.), and how to manage 

your federal student loans. 

For details about education costs covered by federal 

student aid, visit StudentAid.gov/collegecost.

More Information to Explore

StudentAid.gov/resources

For consumer protection information, read the 

following fact sheets: 

• Choose a Career School Carefully 

• Don’t Get Scammed on Your Way to College 

For more information about money for college and to 

help you determine which loans to accept and how 

much to borrow, you may want to read the following:

• Do You Need Money for College? The Guide to 

Federal Student Aid

• Federal Student Loans: Be a Responsible 

Borrower

• Federal Student Loans: Repaying Your Loans

You can order printed copies of many of our 

publications at www.edpubs.gov.

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Contact Us

U.S. Department of Education

Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC)

P.O. Box 84

Washington, DC 20044-0084

1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)

TTY users can call 1-800-730-8913.

Callers in locations without access to 1-800 

numbers may call 334-523-2691 (this is not a tollfree number).

Stay Connected

Access your federal loan information at 

StudentAid.gov/login

 /FederalStudentAid

 /FAFSA

 /FederalStudentAid

The information in this guide was compiled in 

Spring 2016. For changes to federal student aid 

programs since then, visit StudentAid.gov.

Printed: September 2016