Yes, you can use FAFSA for graduate school, but the process and the money available work differently than they do for undergraduates.

FAFSA opens the door to federal loans for graduate students, but not to federal grants. You will fill out the same form, but you will not see Pell Grants or other need-based grants that undergraduates receive. Graduate students can borrow federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Graduate PLUS Loans, which are larger than undergraduate loan limits. The income thresholds and dependency rules that govern undergraduate aid do not apply — graduate students are treated as independent for FAFSA purposes, regardless of age or whether parents claim them as dependents.

The timeline is the same: FAFSA opens October 1 each year and closes June 30. Your school's financial aid office uses your FAFSA results to build a financial aid package, but that package will look different from an undergraduate one. You may also see institutional aid from your graduate program itself, which does not come through FAFSA but is often listed on the same aid letter.

Key Takeaways

  • Graduate students are automatically treated as independent on FAFSA, so parental income and assets do not count toward your aid calculation.
  • Federal grants (Pell, SEOG, and others) are not available to graduate students; only loans and work-study are federal options through FAFSA.
  • Graduate Direct Unsubsidized Loans have higher borrowing limits than undergraduate loans, and Graduate PLUS Loans allow you to borrow up to your school's cost of attendance minus other aid.
  • Your graduate program may offer its own scholarships, assistantships, or tuition waivers that appear on your aid letter but do not come through FAFSA.

What FAFSA actually covers for graduate students

FAFSA determines your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), now called the Student Aid Index (SAI). For graduate students, this number is based only on your own income and assets, not your parents'. Your school subtracts this from the cost of attendance to find your financial need, then builds an aid package to meet it.

The federal aid available to you through that FAFSA result includes Direct Unsubsidized Loans (interest accrues while you are in school), Graduate PLUS Loans (larger amounts, but requires a credit check), and Federal Work-Study if your school participates. You may also see loans from private lenders, but those are not federal and do not come from FAFSA.

Grants and scholarships from your graduate program itself — teaching assistantships, research assistantships, tuition remission, departmental scholarships — are separate. Your school will list them on your aid letter, but they are not FAFSA products. Some schools require FAFSA completion before they will disburse their own aid; others do not.

How graduate loan limits differ from undergraduate limits

An undergraduate can borrow up to $5,500 to $7,500 per year in Direct Loans (depending on year and dependency status). A graduate student can borrow up to $20,500 per year in Direct Unsubsidized Loans, with no aggregate cap beyond $138,705 total (including undergraduate loans). Graduate PLUS Loans have no annual limit — you can borrow up to your cost of attendance minus other aid you receive.

The trade-off is that graduate loans accrue interest immediately. Direct Unsubsidized Loans charge 6.54% (as of the 2024–2025 academic year; rates change annually). Graduate PLUS Loans charge 7.54%. You can defer payments while enrolled at least half-time, but interest still builds.

Income and dependency rules for graduate FAFSA

Graduate students are always independent on FAFSA, even if you are 22 years old and your parents claim you as a dependent on their taxes. This means your parents' income and assets do not appear on your FAFSA form at all. You report only your own income, spouse's income (if married), and your own assets.

If you have no income and no assets, your SAI will be zero, and your financial need will equal your school's full cost of attendance. This does not mean you will receive assistance programs — it means you are may be able to access to borrow the full amount in loans. Schools use this information to determine how much they can lend you and whether to offer their own aid to close any gap.

What happens after you submit FAFSA as a graduate student

Your school's graduate financial aid office receives your FAFSA data and uses it to build an aid package. This package typically includes the maximum federal loans you are may be able to access for, plus any institutional aid your program offers. You will receive an aid letter, usually by email, that lists loans, grants, assistantships, and work-study separately.

You must accept or decline each piece of aid. Declining a loan does not affect your may be able to access for a scholarship or assistantship. Some graduate students decline all loans and live on assistantships and part-time work; others accept loans to cover living expenses while working as a teaching or research assistant.

If your school requires FAFSA to disburse its own aid, you will see a note on the aid letter or in your student portal. If you do not complete FAFSA, you may lose access to institutional scholarships or assistantships, even though those are not federal programs. Check with your graduate program's financial aid contact before declining FAFSA.

Graduate PLUS Loans and credit checks

Graduate PLUS Loans are federal loans that allow you to borrow additional money beyond the $20,500 Direct Unsubsidized limit. You can borrow up to your cost of attendance minus other aid. The Department of Education runs a credit check, but the bar is low — you are denied only if you have a recent default, foreclosure, or bankruptcy (within the past five years, depending on the event).

If you are denied a Graduate PLUS Loan, you can request a manual review or find an endorser (someone who co-signs the loan). You can also borrow additional money through private student loans, though those have different terms and are not federal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to report my parents' income on FAFSA for graduate school?

No. Graduate students are independent on FAFSA regardless of age or tax status. You report only your own income, spouse's income if applicable, and your own assets. Your parents' financial situation does not affect your federal aid calculation.

Can I get a Pell Grant as a graduate student?

No. Pell Grants are for undergraduate students only. Graduate students can access federal loans and work-study through FAFSA, but not grants. Your graduate program may offer its own scholarships or assistantships, which are separate from FAFSA.

What if my graduate program does not require FAFSA?

Some graduate programs do not require FAFSA because they do not participate in federal student aid. However, if you want to borrow federal loans, you must complete FAFSA. Ask your program's financial aid office whether FAFSA is required for their scholarships or assistantships before you decide to skip it.

Can I use FAFSA for a professional degree like law school or medical school?

Yes. Law, medical, dental, and other professional graduate programs use FAFSA the same way other graduate programs do. You will be independent, may be able to access for Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Graduate PLUS Loans, and ineligible for grants. Your school's financial aid office will build an aid package based on your FAFSA results.

What if I already borrowed as an undergraduate — does that affect my graduate loans?

Your undergraduate loans count toward your aggregate loan limit, which is $138,705 total for Direct Loans (including both undergraduate and graduate). If you borrowed $30,000 as an undergraduate, you can borrow up to $108,705 more as a graduate student in Direct Loans. Graduate PLUS Loans have no aggregate cap and are separate from this limit.