Is filling out the FAFSA legally required for college students?

lol no its not legally required. ur parents got that wrong. i never filled it out my first yr because my dad said the same thing about privacy. ended up missing out on work study and some grants tho which sucked when i realized later

Your parents are definitely confused. The FAFSA is NOT legally required for any student. However, it IS required if you want to receive ANY federal financial aid (loans, grants, work-study) and most schools also require it for their institutional scholarships and aid. Even if your family is well-off, you might qualify for unsubsidized federal loans which have better terms than private loans if you ever need them.

As someone who worked in a university financial aid office for 7 years, I can definitively tell you that the FAFSA is NOT legally mandated. However, there are some important things to consider: 1. While not legally required, many colleges require the FAFSA for ANY institutional aid, including merit scholarships 2. Even high-income families can qualify for unsubsidized federal loans, which have fixed interest rates and better protections than private loans 3. Your financial situation could change during your college years (job loss, medical expenses, etc.) For privacy concerns, the FAFSA data is protected under federal privacy laws. Your parents' information is not shared with marketers or other third parties.

Sounds like your parents might be confusing school policies with federal law. My university "requires" all students to submit FAFSA, but they can't actually force you legally - they just won't process any financial aid for you without it. I skipped filing it my sophomore year because my parents didn't want to share their tax info after a messy divorce, and nothing happened except I couldn't get any aid that year.

OK but here's the thing no one is mentioning - while not "legally required" in the sense of breaking federal law, many colleges put it in their enrollment requirements. So while you won't go to jail, you might not be able to register for classes if your school has this policy. Check your specific school's requirements before deciding!

When I was trying to get answers about my FAFSA application status last year, I was stuck on hold for HOURS with Federal Student Aid. I finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real person in minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ If you do decide to file FAFSA and have questions about what's required, this service is seriously worth it. Saved me so much time when I needed clarification on my parents' contribution section.

My cousin didn't file FAFSA and the FAFSA police busted down his door and arrested him for federal financial aid evasion!! JK LOL 😂 But seriously, not required by law but required for practically any kind of aid including some merit scholarships.

Actually, I think ur school CAN require it. My daughter's college (expensive private one) made every single student file FAFSA even international students who cant get US aid anyway. They wouldnt let her register for classes until it was submitted! So check your specific school maybe?

just wondering but why r ur parents so worried about privacy? the fafsa info just goes to the education department and ur school, not like its public or anything

After reading this whole discussion, here's what you should know: 1. FAFSA is NOT legally required under federal law 2. Individual schools MAY require it as part of their enrollment or aid process 3. Even if you don't need aid now, circumstances can change 4. Many merit scholarships require FAFSA completion 5. If your family genuinely doesn't need or want aid, you can technically skip it My advice? Fill it out anyway. It takes about 30 minutes with the new simplified version, and it keeps all your options open.

Just wanted to add one more perspective as someone who thought they were "too rich" for aid. My family makes good money but we still qualified for some need-based grants because we have 3 kids in college at the same time. The FAFSA calculation considers family size, number in college, and other factors beyond just income. Plus many schools use it to determine eligibility for their own institutional scholarships that aren't even need-based. It's definitely worth the 30 minutes to fill out, especially since you can always decline aid if you don't want it!

Hey Connor! Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact same situation with my parents a few years ago. They were convinced it was mandatory too! Turns out they had mixed up some info they read about schools requiring it for aid with it being a federal law. After all the great advice here, I'd definitely recommend filling it out even if your family is well-off. I was surprised to learn that even high-income families can qualify for unsubsidized federal loans, which have way better terms than private loans if you ever need them for grad school or unexpected expenses. Plus, like others mentioned, many merit scholarships require FAFSA completion regardless of need. The privacy concerns are understandable, but the data is pretty well protected under federal law. And honestly, the new simplified FAFSA really does only take about 30 minutes now. Better to have options and not need them than to need them and not have them!