Is FAFSA ever mandatory to attend a college?

[Anonymous]

We know we won't qualify for aid, and ds is going in-state and tuition is easily affordable to us. So do we need to fill it out just for ds to even go to college? Do some colleges require it for ALL students? It's not clear to me.

[Anonymous]

I can’t say categorically that there is no school anywhere that requires fafsa for all students, but if you don’t qualify for need-based aid and don’t want merit aid (and even for merit most schools ask for CSS, not FAFSA), there would be no reason to fill out FAFSA.

But if you’re confused or concerned you haven’t filled it out when it might be required, simply ask the school to confirm.

[Anonymous]

Nope. I have 2 kids in public college rn, and haven’t ever filled it out. One even has significant merit aid.

[Anonymous]

No, we never filled one out.

[Anonymous]

I’m honestly not sure why this question keeps coming up. The form is an application for need-based aid, including loans.

If you are not applying for need-based aid, don’t fill it out. If a school does require it, they will tell you. Fordham is one that requires it for merit $ - and they are one if only a handful. They tell you during the information session, on the web site, etc.

On my college student’s parent FB page, there are parents who claim you have to fill it out. Perhaps everyone in their circle qualifies for need based aid, so they don’t know any different. Perhaps their high school serves a low income population, and the high school pushes everyone to complete it.

But on DCUM, we keep getting “I make $400K year, my student is only applying to instate publics, do I have to complete FAFSA?” Of course not!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We know we won't qualify for aid, and ds is going in-state and tuition is easily affordable to us. So do we need to fill it out just for ds to even go to college? Do some colleges require it for ALL students? It's not clear to me.

1. No, you don't "need to fill it out just for ds to even go to college."
2. Your in-state college does not require the FAFSA if you're not seeking FA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t say categorically that there is no school anywhere that requires fafsa for all students, but if you don’t qualify for need-based aid and don’t want merit aid (and even for merit most schools ask for CSS, not FAFSA), there would be no reason to fill out FAFSA.

But if you’re confused or concerned you haven’t filled it out when it might be required, simply ask the school to confirm.

We're full pay and refuse to fill out the FAFSA. A couple years ago, Fordham required DD to fill it out in order to continue review of her application (apparently for a merit based scholarship). There was no further activity or communication between us and Fordham (our application fee had been accepted of course).