Filling out the FAFSA^® form can be a straightforward and easy process. Select the “Fill Out the FAFSA” button on the home page, and just follow the directions on the screen. Below are some tips to help you along the way.

Apply for a PLUS Loan for Graduate or Professional Students

Use the Direct PLUS Loan Application to apply for a Direct PLUS Loan as a graduate or professional student (a “grad PLUS loan”).

You can also use this application to authorize the school to use funds to satisfy other educationally-related charges, or change the loan amount specified in a previously submitted PLUS Loan application.The information that you provide will be sent to the school that you select. The school you select will use the information collected to determine your eligibility for a Direct PLUS Loan as a graduate or professional student and process your application.BEFORE YOU APPLY FOR A DIRECT PLUS LOAN:1

If you have placed a security freeze on your credit file, you must lift or remove the freeze at each credit bureau before you continue. Your application will not be processed if you have a security freeze.2

Before you can receive a Direct PLUS Loan, you must complete a Direct PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note (Direct PLUS Loan MPN), which explains all of the terms and conditions of Direct PLUS Loans and constitutes your legally binding agreement to repay all Direct PLUS Loans that you receive under the Direct PLUS Loan MPN. You will have an opportunity to complete the Direct PLUS Loan MPN after you complete the Direct PLUS Loan Application.

I am a Graduate or Professional Student

William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program: Federal Direct PLUS Loan Request for Supplemental Information

When you apply for a Direct PLUS Loan as a graduate or professional student, you can authorize the school to use your loan funds to satisfy other educational related charges after tuition and fees, and room and board (for on-campus students) have been paid. You are not required to provide this authorization.The Direct PLUS Loan Application also allows you to request a change the loan amount specified in a previously submitted application.Preview a read-only version Log In To StartView DemoOMB No. 1845-0103•Form ApprovedExp. Date 09/30/2026Who should complete this?Eligible graduate or professional students20 minutesHow long will it take?The entire Direct PLUS Loan Application process must be completed in a single session. It takes approximately 20 minutes to apply for a “grad PLUS loan”.What do I need?

Verified FSA ID
School Name
Personal Information
Employer’s Information

Apply for a PLUS Loan for Parents

Use the Direct PLUS Loan Application to apply for a Direct PLUS Loan as a parent to help pay for your student’s school expenses (a “parent PLUS loan”). You can also authorize the school to use funds to satisfy other educationally-related charges, request a deferment, or change the loan amount specified in a previously submitted PLUS Loan application.

The information that you provide will be sent to the school that you select. The school you select will use the information collected to determine your eligibility for a Direct PLUS Loan as a parent and process your application.BEFORE YOU APPLY FOR A DIRECT PLUS LOAN:1

I am a Parent of an Undergraduate Student

William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program: Federal Direct PLUS Loan Request for Supplemental Information

When you apply for a Direct PLUS Loan as a parent, you can authorize the school to use your loan funds to satisfy your student’s other educational related charges after tuition and fees, and room and board (for on-campus students) have been paid. You are not required to provide this authorization.

As a parent borrower, you can also use the Direct PLUS Loan Application to:

designate whether the school pays any credit balance to the student or to you.
request a deferment while the student is in school, and for an additional deferment for six months after the student ceases to be enrolled at least half time, and
request a change to the loan amount specified in a previously submitted application.

Preview a read-only version Log In To StartView DemoOMB No. 1845-0103•Form ApprovedExp. Date 09/30/2026Who should complete this?Eligible parents More Information Modal for ELIGIBLE PARENTS of eligible dependent undergraduate students20 minutesHow long will it take?The entire Direct PLUS Loan Application process must be completed in a single session. It takes approximately 20 minutes to apply for a “parent PLUS loan”.What do I need?

Verified FSA ID
School Name
Student Information
Personal Information
Employer’s Information

Gathering the Documents Needed to Apply

The FAFSA questions ask for information about you (your name, date of birth, address, etc.) and about your financial situation. Depending on your circumstances (for instance, whether you’re a U.S. citizen or what tax form you used), you might need the following information or documents as you fill out the application:

Your Social Security number (it’s important that you enter it correctly on the FAFSA form!)
Your parents’ Social Security numbers if you are a dependent student
Your driver’s license number if you have one
Your Alien Registration number if you are not a U.S. citizen
Federal tax information or tax returns including IRS W-2 information, for you (and your spouse, if you are married), and for your parents if you are a dependent student:
- IRS 1040
- Foreign tax return, IRS 1040NR, or IRS 1040NR-EZ
- Tax return for Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or Palau
Records of your untaxed income, such as child support received, interest income, and veterans noneducation benefits, for you, and for your parents if you are a dependent student
Information on cash; savings and checking account balances; investments, including stocks and bonds and real estate (but not including the home in which you live); and business and farm assets for you, and for your parents if you are a dependent student

Getting Help

If you need help filling out the FAFSA form, use these free tools:

Select the blue and white question mark icon next to a FAFSA question to view a “tool tip” that provides information about how to answer that question.
In the online FAFSA form, the tool tip may have a “More Help” link for additional information. You also can select the “Help” button at the bottom of the tool tip to reach the “FAFSA Help” page, where you can browse FAQs, search for more information, or click on “Contact Us.”
Once you click on “Contact Us,” you’ll have the option of emailing us with your question or, during business hours, chatting (in English or Spanish) with live technical support staff. (In the myStudentAid mobile app, you can find the contact information via the “hamburger menu”—the three parallel lines at the top right of the screen.)
Contact the financial aid office at the college or career school you plan to attend.

Application For Financial Aid