Eligibility for federal student aid is based on financial need and on several other factors such as U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizenship, enrollment in an eligible program, satisfactory academic progress in college, and more. The full list of our basic eligibility criteria is on our student site.
Grades Slipped or Haven't Completed Enough Credits. You need to make satisfactory academic progress in college or career school in order to keep getting federal student aid. Talk to your school about whether you can appeal the decision that made you ineligible to continue receiving federal student aid.
If you earned or completed a bachelor's or graduate degree, you're not eligible for any government grants. If you incorrectly answered 'Yes' to the question about completing a bachelor's or graduate degree on your FAFSA , you should change your answer to that question by logging into FAFSA as a returning user .
There are no income limits to apply, and many state and private colleges use the FAFSA to determine your financial aid eligibility.
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 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.
Students must be in good academic standing to receive federal aid. The required GPA varies from school to school, but typically students need a 2.0 or higher. If your grades fall below the minimum GPA, you could lose eligibility for financial aid. See also: What GPA do you need to get a full scholarship?
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.
You're not making satisfactory academic progress at your school. You've defaulted on an existing federal student loan. You owe a refund on any previous federal grants. You're enrolled in an academic program that makes you ineligible for funding.
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.
Financial aid is money to help pay for college or career school. Grants, work-study, loans, and scholarships help make college or career school affordable.
Direct Subsidized Loans are available only to undergraduate students who have financial need. Direct Unsubsidized Loans are available to both undergraduates and graduate or professional degree students.
Your eligibility depends on your Student Aid Index (SAI), your year in school, your enrollment status, and the cost of attendance at the school you will be attending.
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) today officially released the 2025–26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®), 10 days before its Dec. 1 goal. The online FAFSA form is available to all students and families at fafsa.gov, and the Department is processing submissions and sending them to schools.
The Pell Grant is indeed a valuable financial aid resource for many college students. While there isn't a strict maximum family income limit for Pell Grant eligibility, the grant is typically awarded to students with financial need, particularly those with an annual family income of $60,000 or below.
What are the FAFSA income limits? 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. Although your earnings are a factor on the FAFSA, only some programs are based on need.
There are favorable non-need-based loans that students from even the wealthiest families will qualify for, so if you want your child to take on some of the responsibility for financing his or her own education, or if you want to consider federal borrowing options yourself, you will need to complete a FAFSA to access ...
In fact, over a four-year span, families with annual household income of $200,000 can get a third or more of the cost knocked off an education with a $300,000 list price.
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.
Your eligibility depends on your Student Aid Index (SAI), year in school, enrollment status, and the cost of attendance at the school you'll be attending.
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).
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.
During the 2021/2022 school year, the average parent covered about 43% of their student's college costs using income and savings. Parents covered an additional 8% of that cost by taking out loans, according to the Sallie Mae study. The average total parent contribution came out to $13,000 per year.
Student aid programs generally do not have explicit income limits on eligibility.