Do you have to pay back FAFSA? Here’s what you need to know

FAFSA: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an important government tool that helps American parents and students get into college or university.

People who want to get government student aid must meet these basic requirements: they must need the money, be a citizen of the United States, and have a valid Social Security number.

Do you have to pay back FAFSA?

For many students, the good news is that you don’t have to pay back much of the money you get through the FAFSA. This covers grants for needs-based financial aid given by specific universities as well as grants from the federal government and states, such as the Federal SEOG Grant and the Pell Grant.

Whether you have to repay the help depends on the kind you get after completing the FAFSA. Grants, scholarships, and work study funds are not reimbursed.

You may spend all of this money however you see fit for your schooling. Your need-based grants may require you to keep up a particular number of credit hours or minimum GPA.

To find out what kind of help you qualify for, fill out the FAFSA. You’re not required to take all financial aid that is offered to you.

The school year 2024–25 deadline is June 30, 2025. Nevertheless, as the money pool is small, it is imperative to act as soon as possible.

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Financial aid that needs to be paid back

Repayable financial aid includes all federal student loans. According to Scholarships360, the following groups of federal student loans are included:

• Parent loans or PLUS loans, are Stafford Direct student loans (both subsidized and unsubsidized)
• Government Loans
• All of these student loan types—aside from the Perkins Loans, which were phased out in 2017—may appear on your financial aid award letter.

How you repay your student loans will depend on the terms and length of your loan. Find out more about the different ways to pay back your debt so that you can pick the one that works best for you.

Another important thing to remember is that some students may be able to get their student loans forgiven. If you can’t work because of a disability or if you teach or work for the government and make 120 payments, your loan may be canceled, also called “cancellation.”