No income limits: There are no set income limits for the FAFSA, and the US Department of Education recommends filling it out regardless of income. There is no income cut-off to qualify for federal student aid. Many factors—such as the size of your family and your year in school—are considered. Technically, no income is too high for the FAFSA. The U.S. Department of Education recommends filling out the FAFSA yearly, regardless of income. However because FAFSA is needs-based aid, those from lower-income families with a greater financial need get access to more financial aid.Can you get FAFSA if you make over 100k?
What is the highest income to qualify for financial aid?
What income level is too high for FAFSA?
For example, if your citizenship status changed because your visa expired or it was revoked, then you would be ineligible. Other reasons for financial aid disqualification include: Not maintaining satisfactory progress at your college or degree program. Not filling out the FAFSA each year you are enrolled in school.
Even some merit-based scholarships offered by colleges and universities require applicants to file the FAFSA. Thus, many college planning experts recommend that students from higher-income households also fill out the FAFSA (or, if your college instructs you, the CSS Financial Aid Profile form).
A common myth is that students from high-income families won't qualify for FAFSA funding. In reality, there's no maximum income cap that determines your eligibility for aid.
However, students with a zero EFC may qualify for the maximum federal Pell Grant, which is $7,395 for the 2023–2024 award year (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024). To qualify for a zero EFC on the 2023-2024 FAFSA, a family with dependent students can't make more than $29,000 annually.
Cal Grants Have Financial and Other Eligibility Criteria.
For example, in the 2021‑22 award year, a dependent student from a family of four must have an annual household income of under $110,400 to qualify for Cal Grant A or C, and under $58,100 to qualify for Cal Grant B.
Pell Grants are need-based awards. Although students with family incomes up to $45,000 may be eligible, most awards go to students with family incomes below $20,000.
That's right. Even if your family makes multiple six figures a year, you can still get financial aid. That said, not financial aid is created equal. Ideally, you want free money, or grants not loans.
Your or your family's wages, salaries, interest, dividends, etc., minus certain deductions from income as reported on a federal income tax return.
In conclusion, even with a household income of $100,000, it is still possible to receive financial aid. To maximize your chances, ensure that you apply for as many different aid programs and scholarships as possible, both at the college level and from outside sources.
There is no income that is too high to file a FAFSA. No matter how much you make, you can always submit a FAFSA. Eligibility for need-based financial aid increases as the cost of attendance increases, so even a wealthy student might qualify for financial aid at a higher-cost college.
There are no set income cutoffs for financial aid because of the number of factors that are included in the need-based calculation beyond income. Unless parents are in a situation where they don't need money for their child to go to school, everyone should fill out the FAFSA.
FAFSA FAQs
There's no income limit that precludes students from qualifying for student aid, so they should complete the FAFSA, regardless of their family income.
Providing Financial Information
The FAFSA form asks for financial information, including information from tax forms and balances of savings and checking accounts. The 2025–26 FAFSA form asks for 2023 tax information. The 2024–25 FAFSA form asks for 2022 tax information.
Student aid programs generally do not have explicit income limits on eligibility.
Don't worry, this is a common question for many students. The good news is that the Department of Education doesn't have an official income cutoff to qualify for federal financial aid. So, even if you think your parents' income is too high, it's still worth applying (plus, it's free to apply).
Verification doesn't necessarily check the student's or parent's bank accounts. Rather, the school will ask for documentation to clarify information provided in the form. These documents can include income tax returns, W-2 forms, and 1099 forms.
Middle-and upper-income families tend to cover rising college costs by tapping into parental income and savings, in addition to taking on more parental loans.