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How to file the FAFSA for graduate school

Maximize your federal aid before looking to private loans.

Anna Serio

Updated Apr 27, 2020

Fact checked

As a grad student, you might not be eligible for as much federal aid as you were as an undergrad — especially if you’ve already taken out federal loans. But it’s still worth filling out the FAFSA. You might get more aid than you expect and even avoid having to take out private loans.

How to file the FAFSA for graduate school in 7 steps

Filling out the FAFSA as a graduate student works a lot like completing it as an undergrad. While it’s possible to complete a paper application, the vast majority of students complete it online. Follow these steps to get started:

Answer questions designed to determine whether you’re a dependent or independent student. These questions involve whether you have children or other dependents who receive support from you, as well as your household size.

At the end of the section, you’ll most likely receive a notification telling you you’re an independent student — most graduate students are.

At this point, decide whether you want to answer questions about your parents — the FSA recommends this for law and health profession students. Your school might also require you to complete the parent section. Otherwise, skip ahead to the financial information section.
Answer questions about your tax information for two years prior to the year you plan on receiving aid — for a 2019–2020 application, that would be your 2017 tax information.

Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (IRS DRT) to automatically pull in information from your tax forms and complete this section. Otherwise, you’ll have to manually fill in this information. Even if you use the IRS DRT, review your answers to make sure they’re correct and fill in any blank fields.

Step-by-step guide to answering every question on the FAFSA

How is the FAFSA different for graduate students?

The main difference between filling out the FAFSA as an undergraduate student versus a graduate student is that graduate students are usually considered independent students. Independent students can choose whether they want to complete the parent demographics section, whereas dependent students are required to complete it.

Some types of graduate students still might want to answer questions about their parents, such as law students, medical students and nursing students. And some schools might also require you to answer questions about your parents — even if you’re an independent student.

Another difference is that some information might already be prefilled if you’ve already filled out the FAFSA as an undergraduate student. This can save you a good bit of time, though you’ll want to review that information to ensure it’s still accurate.

How do I know if I’m an independent student?

The FSA considers you to be an independent student if you’re enrolled in a master’s or doctorate program, including but not limited to:

PhD
EdD
Graduate certificate

If you’re enrolled in a joint undergraduate-graduate degree program, contact your school’s financial aid office to find out when you start to qualify as a graduate student.

Not enrolled in a master’s or doctorate program? You might still be considered an independent student if you meet one of the following criteria:
- You turn 23 before January 1st of the year you receive aid
- You’re married or separated
- You’re currently serving on active duty in the US armed forces — other than training
- You’re a veteran
- You have or will have children or dependents that receive more than half of their financial support from you
- Your parents died after you turned 13
- You were in foster care after you turned 13
- You were considered a ward of the court after you turned 13
- You were an emancipated minor
- You have a legal guardian other than your parent or stepparent
- You were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or at risk of being homeless since July 1st of the year before you plan on using the financial aid

What types of federal aid are available to graduate students?

As a graduate student, you’re eligible for the following types of federal student aid:

Direct Unsubsidized Loans
Direct PLUS Loans
Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grants
Federal Work-Study Program
Federal Pell Grants

I can’t get enough federal aid. What other types of aid are available?

You might want to consider the following options to help pay for your graduate degree after exhausting all federal options:

State financial aid. Your state might offer loans, scholarships and grants with fewer restrictions than federal student aid — and at better rates than private student loans.
Institutional financial aid. Most schools offer scholarships, grants and sometimes even loans to graduate students. Typically, these are included in your financial aid award letter. Many also offer assistantships or fellowships to graduate students.
Outside fellowships, scholarships and grants. Apply for aid from organizations outside of your school to get partial or even full funding for your program.
Federal agency financial aid. Depending on your field, you might be eligible for a scholarship, grant or fellowship from another federal agency — such as the State Department or Department of Agriculture.
Private student loans. Once you’ve exhausted all of your free aid options, cover the remaining cost with a student loan from a private lender. You could consider private loans if your only federal option is a Direct PLUS Loan, which might actually be more expensive than a private loan.

How graduate student loans work

Federal aid not enough? Consider a private student loan

Name	Min. Credit Score	Max. Loan Amount	APR
EDvestinU Private Student Loans	675	$200,000	4.092% to 8.609% with autopay	Straightforward student loans for undergraduate and graduate students.	Get started More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
CommonBond Private Student Loans	700	$500,000	3.31% to 9.74%	Finance your college education through this lender with a strong social mission and terms that fit your budget.	Get started More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Edvisors Private Student Loan Marketplace	Varies by lender	Varies by lender	Varies by lender	Quickly compare private lenders for your school and apply for the right student loan.	Get started More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

Compare up to 4 providers

Bottom line

Filling out the FAFSA as a graduate student is a lot like completing it as an undergrad. But it might not take as much time, since you likely aren’t required to complete the parent demographics section. You also might have part of the application prefilled if you’ve already applied as an undergraduate.

Learn more about how paying for school works by checking out our guide to student loans.

Frequently asked questions

The federal deadline to submit the FAFSA is June 30th at the end of the year you plan on attending school. So for the 2019–2020 academic year, that’s June 30, 2020. However, you might want to get it in before then. Many states and schools have their own FAFSA deadlines, and you might not receive as much financial aid if you submit it late.

The FSA recommends submitting the FAFSA as soon as possible after applications open on October 1st the year before you intend on using financial aid.

Thank you for your feedback!

Anna Serio

Anna Serio is a trusted lending expert and certified Commercial Loan Officer who's published more than 950 articles on Finder to help Americans strengthen their financial literacy. A former editor of a newspaper in Beirut, Anna writes about personal, student, business and car loans. Today, digital publications like Business Insider, CNBC and the Simple Dollar feature her professional commentary, and she earned an Expert Contributor in Finance badge from review site Best Company in 2020.

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