How Can I Get a Grant for College? Q: How can I get a grant for college? A: The best way to find out what grants you qualify for is to apply at the school you want to attend and complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The FAFSA is a federal form that is used to determine how much you and your family can afford to pay for college. It also helps to determine how much financial aid - and what types of aid – you are eligible to receive. The FAFSA can be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov You will be asked to enter the names of the schools you are interested in attending. Once your FAFSA is processed, each of those schools will receive a Student Aid Report that will help them determine how much aid you qualify for. Once you are accepted to attend, each of these schools will send you an Award Letter that outlines the types of aid that are available to you. You may be offered free forms of aid, such as grants, scholarships, and work-study. And you may also be offered aid in the form of student loans which must be repaid. You can choose to accept some, all, or none of the financial aid being offered, so there is no reason not to complete the FAFSA. The FAFSA is not a loan application and you are not obligated to accept any financial aid that may be offered by your school. If you have questions about this process or government grants in particular, contact the Financial Aid Office at the school you wish to attend. They will have more details and resources to help you complete the process. Which Student Loan is Best?