Federal Grants
About Federal Grants
To receive federal grants, you must apply using the FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid
All youth who experienced foster care after age 13 are eligible to receive the full Pell Grant, which is $7,395 for a full course load for the 2024-2025 academic year
This means, if you fill out the FAFSA correctly, you can receive up to a $7,395 Pell Grant per year from the federal government for your education, and you may qualify as well for additional grants from the federal government
About Independent Student Status
Dependent Student Status means the government uses your parents income to determine the amount of financial aid to award
Independent Student Status means the government uses only your income to determine the amount of financial aid to award. You are automatically considered an independent if you are currently in foster care, a ward of the court, or both of your parents have died; or if you were formerly in foster care, a ward of the court or both of your parents have died at any time since age 13. In all these cases, you do not have to enter information about your parents into the FAFSA.
Visit this document to see other reasons why you may automatically qualify as an independent
To Access
Complete the FAFSA! Make sure you record your login information and password!
Check YES for questions that ask: "At any time since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you a dependent or ward of the court?"
Want Help? We can meet with you
The 1999 Collective exists to make this process easier. Contact us to set up an appointment to fill out your FAFSA or to discuss any question, including:
You are not sure you were in foster care
You're confused about the process
You want to make sure you're filling out the FAFSA correctly
A financial aid advisor told you that you need to reapply to FAFSA as a dependent (this happens! The 1999 Collective can help advocate with you to ensure correct implementation of policy)