Is FAFSA worth completing if you won't qualify for need-based aid?
Hey everyone, I've been crunching some numbers for my daughter's college plans next year and our family income is definitely above the threshold for need-based aid ($187,000 with minimal assets). My financial advisor actually told me not to bother with the FAFSA since we won't qualify for any subsidized loans or grants. But I've heard mixed things from other parents. Is there ANY reason to still complete it? Would some colleges require it anyway for merit scholarships? Or is it truly a waste of time if you know you're not getting need-based aid? Just trying to figure out if I'm missing some angle here before I write it off completely.
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Rebecca Johnston
YES! Absolutely fill it out regardless of income. My son's private university required the FAFSA for ALL institutional scholarships - even the merit ones that had nothing to do with financial need. Plus, some schools use it for work-study eligibility even if you don't qualify for other aid. And the unsubsidized loans (which aren't need-based) still require FAFSA. Don't skip it - takes maybe 20 minutes with the new simplified version.
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KingKongZilla
•Thanks - that's really helpful. I didn't realize some schools required it for merit aid too. Do you happen to know if state schools are the same way?
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Nathan Dell
The FAFSA is a waste of time for high income. We make 200k+ and I did it last year and got NOTHING. Just a bunch of "congratulations you've been approved for the opportunity to pay full price" letters lol. Don't bother unless your specific school demands it for something.
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Maya Jackson
•This isn't entirely accurate. While you won't get need-based aid at that income, the FAFSA isn't just for Pell Grants or subsidized loans. Many schools require it for merit scholarships, and it's the only way to access unsubsidized federal loans which have much better protections than private loans. It's worth the 20-30 minutes it takes with the new streamlined form.
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Tristan Carpenter
Financial aid professional here. There are several reasons to complete the FAFSA even if you won't qualify for need-based aid: 1. Access to federal unsubsidized loans (not need-based) 2. Required for PLUS loans if your student needs additional funding 3. Many institutions require it for merit-based aid consideration 4. Some schools have higher income thresholds than you might expect 5. Emergency aid eligibility if your financial situation changes I recommend completing it annually regardless of income. The new simplified FAFSA takes much less time than previous versions.
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Amaya Watson
•Ugh its so annoying tho. Do ALL schools really require it for merit? My kids applying to 8 schools and only 2 mention FAFSA on there merit scholrship pages...
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Tristan Carpenter
•It varies by institution. Some absolutely require it for all institutional aid (including merit), while others don't. If you're considering 8 schools, I'd recommend checking each school's financial aid website or calling their aid office directly to confirm their specific requirements. Better to have it completed than to find out later your student missed out on potential aid.
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KingKongZilla
Thanks for all the responses so far! I'm leaning toward completing it now. One more question - do you think it affects chances of admission at all? Like would schools be more likely to accept students who don't need financial help?
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Grant Vikers
•Most schools practice "need-blind" admissions, meaning they don't consider your financial situation when making admission decisions. However, a small number of private schools are "need-aware" and may consider ability to pay for borderline applicants. Public universities are almost always need-blind. But importantly, completing the FAFSA doesn't necessarily signal you need aid - many families who don't qualify for need-based aid still complete it for the reasons others mentioned.
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Giovanni Martello
side note but the new FAFSA is way easier than before! took me like 15 min this yr compared to like an hour last yr. they dont even ask for most tax stuff anymore since they pull it directly from IRS
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Nathan Dell
•really? that's good to know. the tax transcript part was always the biggest headache
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Rebecca Johnston
Has anyone else had trouble reaching the Federal Student Aid helpline? I had questions about my daughter's FAFSA and spent 3 days trying to get through.
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Maya Jackson
•Try using Claimyr.com - it's a service that waits on hold with the FSA helpline for you and calls you when an agent comes on the line. Saved me hours of frustration when I had SAI calculation questions. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. Totally worth it during peak FAFSA season when wait times are insane.
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Rebecca Johnston
•That sounds amazing - thanks for the tip! The hold times have been ridiculous lately.
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Amaya Watson
My sons school financial aid office told us not to bother with FAFSA since we make over 150k but then we couldn't get the 10k merit scholarship he qualified for because guess what IT REQUIRED FAFSA!!! Don't make our mistake!!!
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Savannah Weiner
One thing to consider: even if you don't qualify NOW, if something happens to your financial situation during the school year (job loss, medical emergency, etc), having the FAFSA on file makes it much easier to appeal for aid. Without it, some schools won't even consider mid-year appeals. Think of it as insurance.
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KingKongZilla
You've all convinced me - I'm going to complete it this weekend. Better to have it done than regret it later. And if it's really only 20-30 minutes with the new system, that's not a big investment. Thanks everyone for the advice!
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Tristan Carpenter
•Great decision! One final tip: even though they've simplified the FAFSA, still gather these documents before starting: - FSA IDs for both you and your student - Driver's licenses (if applicable) - Social security numbers for you and your student - List of colleges your student is applying to (with their codes) Having everything ready will make the process even smoother.
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KingKongZilla
•Perfect - thanks for the checklist. I already set up our FSA IDs last month so that part is done at least!
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Carmen Vega
As someone who went through this exact situation last year, I can't stress enough how important it is to complete the FAFSA even at higher income levels. We make around $180k and initially thought the same way - why bother if we won't get need-based aid? But here's what we discovered: our daughter's top choice school required FAFSA for ALL merit scholarships, and she ended up receiving a $15k/year academic scholarship that we would have missed out on entirely. Plus, having access to unsubsidized federal loans gives you much better terms and borrower protections than private loans if you need them. The new streamlined FAFSA really does take about 20 minutes - it's night and day compared to the old version. Don't let your financial advisor's advice cost you potential aid opportunities!
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