Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
The federal government uses the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to compute need. Whatever source you are applying to, you probably will need to complete the FAFSA (opens new window).
- First, decide if you are an independent or dependent student (opens new window).
- Then, figure out which documents you need available to complete the FAFSA. The FAFSA website lists the documents you will need (opens new window).
If you provided a working email address when you applied, you'll get an email within a few days with a secure link to your FAFSA results—the Student Aid Report (SAR)—on the Web. Within a few weeks of filing your FAFSA, you will receive a paper SAR. This provides information from your FAFSA and your Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
ACT provides links to other websites for informational purposes only. ACT is not responsible for the content in other sites, and links from the ACT website to other sites are not intended to imply endorsement of them by ACT.