At Harvard, one of the most generous colleges, over 70% receive some financial aid - much of this must be loans, however, as u201cover 50%u201d of students receive need-based scholarships. 20% of families pay nothing at Harvard. Other schools may have a higher percent of students receiving aid, but they may practice u201cgappingu201d or not meeting 100% of demonstrated need.Generally no FAFSA, no financial aid. You certainly wonu2019t be eligible for federal financial aid, but you may disqualify yourself from receiving institutional aid. Note that only the custodial parent is required to fill out the FAFSA. Both parents must fill out the CSS Profile, for schools that require it.You must apply for financial aid when you first apply to the college you end up attending, or you disqualify yourself from receiving any aid at any time, unless you can demonstrate a significant change in family circumstance.Note that if a school is not u201cneed-blindu201d and you apply for aid that you may be selected for admission but your application u201cpulledu201d if there is not enough aid for all selected students. So asking for financial aid can hurt your chances of admission at schools that are not need-blind. Schools will state if they are need-blind on their financial aid pages.