Where to find and enter your school code on the FAFSA

Your school code goes in the "School Selection" section of the FAFSA form, which appears after you log in and start filling out your application. The form asks you to search for and select each school where you want your financial aid information sent. You enter the school's name or its Federal School Code — a six-digit number assigned by the U.S. Department of Education to every accredited college, university, and career school in the country.

When you type a school name into the search box, the FAFSA system shows you matching schools and their codes. You click the school you want, and the code is added automatically. You do not type the code yourself unless you already know it and choose to search by number instead.

You can add up to 10 schools on a single FAFSA form. Each school you select receives your FAFSA information directly, and the school uses it to calculate how much aid you may receive there.

Key Takeaways

  • The Federal School Code is a six-digit number; you find it by searching the school name in the FAFSA form's school selection tool.
  • The FAFSA system populates the code for you when you select a school from the search results — you do not need to look it up separately.
  • You can add up to 10 schools on one FAFSA form, and each school receives your information automatically.
  • If a school does not appear in the FAFSA search, it may not be accredited or may not participate in federal aid programs; contact the school directly to confirm.

How to search for your school's code in the FAFSA system

Log into your FAFSA account at studentaid.gov and navigate to the "School Selection" section. You will see a search box that says "School Name or Federal School Code." Type the name of the school you want to attend — you can use the full name, the city, or even a partial name. The system searches as you type and shows you a list of matching schools below the search box.

Each result shows the school name, city, and state. Click the school you want, and it is added to your list. The Federal School Code is displayed next to the school name in the results, so you can see it, but you do not need to enter it manually. If you already know the code, you can type it directly into the search box instead of searching by name.

After you add a school, you can add another one by repeating the search, or you can move on to the next section of the FAFSA. You can return to the school selection section at any time to add, remove, or change schools before you submit your form.

What to do if your school does not appear in the search

If you search for a school and it does not show up in the results, the school may not be accredited by a recognized agency, or it may not participate in federal student aid programs. Some schools are accredited but do not offer federal aid to their students. Before you assume the school is not available, try searching by the school's city or state, or search for a partial name — sometimes the official name differs from what students call the school.

If the school still does not appear, contact the school's financial aid office directly. They can tell you whether they participate in federal aid and provide you with the correct Federal School Code if they do. You can also search the Federal School Code database on the Federal Student Aid website (studentaid.gov) by clicking "Find a School" in the tools section.

If the school does not participate in federal aid, you will not be able to add it to your FAFSA, but you may still be able to borrow through private student loans or receive aid directly from the school itself. The school's financial aid office can explain what options are available to you.

Why schools need your FAFSA information

When you add a school to your FAFSA, that school receives your financial information — your family's income, assets, household size, and other details you report on the form. The school uses this information to calculate your Expected Family Contribution (or your financial need, depending on the school's method) and to determine how much aid you may receive there.

Each school has its own aid budget and its own rules for how much aid to give. Two schools may offer very different amounts of aid to the same student, even though they receive the same FAFSA information. This is why it is important to add all the schools you are considering — you need to see what each one offers before you decide where to enroll.

Schools also use your FAFSA information to contact you about aid deadlines, to verify your information if they need to, and to process your aid once you enroll. Adding your school to the FAFSA is how you tell the school you are interested in attending and want them to consider you for aid.

Changing or removing schools after you submit

You can make changes to your school list even after you submit your FAFSA. Log back into your account, go to the "School Selection" section, and add or remove schools as needed. When you make a change, the updated information is sent to the schools you added or kept on your list.

If you remove a school, that school will no longer receive your FAFSA information. If you add a school after you have already submitted, that school will receive your information once you save the change. There is no penalty for changing your school list, and you can do it as many times as you need to.

Keep in mind that schools have their own financial aid deadlines, which may be earlier than the FAFSA deadline. If you add a school late in the year, you may miss that school's priority deadline for aid, which could affect how much aid the school offers you. Check each school's website for its aid deadline.

Understanding Federal School Codes and how they work

The Federal School Code is a six-digit identifier assigned by the U.S. Department of Education. Every school that participates in federal student aid programs has a code. The code is used to route your FAFSA information to the correct school and to match your aid package to your enrollment record once you enroll.

School codes do not change, even if a school changes its name or location. If a school closes or merges with another school, the code may be retired or transferred. Codes are specific to each campus — if a university has multiple locations, each location may have its own code, or they may all share one code depending on how the school is organized.

You do not need to memorize or write down the code. The FAFSA system handles the code for you once you select the school. The code is simply the behind-the-scenes mechanism that makes sure your information reaches the right place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a school to my FAFSA if I have not been accepted yet?

Yes. You can add any school to your FAFSA whether or not you have been accepted. Schools use your FAFSA information to calculate aid for students they are considering, and you need to submit the FAFSA before most schools will send you an aid package. Adding a school to your FAFSA does not commit you to attending.

What if I do not know which schools I want to attend yet?

You can submit your FAFSA with just one school and add more schools later. You can add up to 10 schools total, and you can change your list at any time before or after you submit. Many students add schools gradually as they narrow down their choices.

Do all 10 schools see my FAFSA information at the same time?

Yes. When you submit your FAFSA, all the schools on your list receive your information at the same time. If you add a school after you submit, that school receives your information once you save the change. Schools do not see which other schools are on your list.

What happens if I enter the wrong school code?

If you select the wrong school from the search results, your FAFSA information will go to that school instead of the one you intended. Log back into your FAFSA account, remove the wrong school, and add the correct one. The correct school will then receive your information.

Can I add a school that is not in the United States?

Most schools outside the United States do not participate in the federal FAFSA system and will not appear in the search. Some U.S. schools located abroad or some international schools that participate in federal aid may have codes. Search by school name to see if it appears. If it does not, contact the school's financial aid office to ask about aid options.