Will FAFSA renew my $20k grad school aid if income stays the same?

In my experience working with grad students, if your income and other financial factors remain consistent, your financial aid package should be similar each year. However, there are a few important things to consider: 1. You need to submit a new FAFSA application each academic year - it doesn't automatically roll over 2. Graduate funding can sometimes be subject to departmental decisions and availability, especially for grants 3. Federal loan limits for grad students are actually consistent year-to-year (unlike undergrad where they increase) 4. Make sure your SAI (Student Aid Index) stays similar by reporting consistent information As long as you're meeting academic requirements and your financial situation remains stable, the unsubsidized loan portion should remain consistent. The departmental grant portion might be the less predictable element.

lol dont count on it. my 2nd yr they cut my funding by like $4k for NO REASON even tho nothing changed with my income. when i called fafsa they just kept saying "your SAI calculation resulted in less eligibility" but wouldn't explain WHY the calculation changed. super frustrating!!!

Financial aid counselor here - I can provide some clarity. For graduate students, FAFSA typically maintains consistent eligibility IF your financial circumstances remain the same. Here's what impacts your aid year-to-year: • Graduate unsubsidized loans have an annual limit of $20,500, which doesn't change • Your departmental grant likely depends on your program's funding and your academic standing • Changes in your income, assets, or family situation could affect your SAI • Some institutional aid may be first-year only (check your award letter carefully) One thing many students miss: even small changes in how you report assets or income can sometimes cause significant SAI differences. Be extremely consistent in how you complete your FAFSA each year. My advice: speak directly with your program's financial aid office about the departmental grant portion specifically. They can tell you if it's renewable and what conditions apply.

when i was in grad school my aid stayed pretty much the same all 3 years. just make sure u fill out fafsa on time every year!!! i almost missed the deadline 1 year and panicked lol

Have you reached out to older students in your program? They would know better than any of us if your specific department consistently renews grants. Every graduate program has different funding practices.

I'm in my third year of a similar program and I've had a NIGHTMARE trying to get through to anyone at Federal Student Aid when my renewal was delayed this year. I spent HOURS on hold and kept getting disconnected. Finally I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual FSA agent in less than 20 minutes. They basically hold your place in line and call you when an agent is available. Saved my sanity! You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ or just go to claimyr.com Anyway, once I actually talked to someone, they explained that my renewal was consistent with last year but was held up because of a verification issue. Hopefully you won't need this, but good to know if you run into problems!

In my experience, FAFSA funding for grad students is fairly consistent IF YOU ARE CAREFUL to report everything exactly the same way each year. I've been a grad student for 6 years (PhD program stretched out lol) and my funding stayed almost identical for the first 4 years. HOWEVER - in year 5, I reported my retirement account differently, and my SAI jumped by $4000! I never actually changed my contributions, just reported it differently, and it destroyed my aid package. I had to do an income appeal and it was a MASSIVE headache. My advice: literally keep a copy of your FAFSA from this year and use it as a template for next year's application. Report everything in the exact same way. Even small differences in how you categorize income or assets can cause big SAI swings.

I'm confused about something - is the $20k all loans or is some of it grants? Because loans aren't really "aid" if you have to pay them back with interest...

One more thing to consider - make sure you're on top of your program's Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements. Even if your financial situation stays exactly the same, failing to meet SAP standards can result in loss of aid eligibility. For most grad programs this means maintaining a minimum GPA (usually 3.0) and completing a certain percentage of attempted credits. Your academic performance matters for continued aid eligibility!