FAFSA is a part of the college planning process. Even if you don’t think you will qualify for grants, you should still apply. Colleges strongly encourage that you complete the FAFSA application so that they can put forth the best financial aid award letter. Often, scholarship applications will ask for the “EFC” (expected family contribution) which you won’t know until you complete the FAFSA application. You do not have to accept student loans. Those can always be declined.
Filling out the FAFSA requires a lot of information. You can download a copy of the FAFSA Checklist (seen below!) to keep track of all the information you will need.