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Financial Aid Under 2 minutes No email required Based on 2026-27 federal criteria

See What Financial Aid You’re Missing

Most students leave $7,395+ in Pell Grants unclaimed. See your specific federal + state aid stack in 2 minutes.

2026-27 Federal Data

Most users qualify for $12,000+ in combined aid

See your specific aid stack in 2 minutes

  • Federal Pell Grant (up to $7,395)
  • Your state's specific grant programs
  • Subsidized loan rates
  • Work-study eligibility

No email required · 10 questions · 2 minutes
Review the methodology behind this result

Results are shown before email capture or partner handoff. The estimate uses source-backed rules and public data so you can evaluate the result before taking the next step.

Full calculator methodology See formula sources, assumptions, limitations, and update cadence. Editorial standards Review how we source, fact-check, and disclose partner relationships.

Why Checking Your Financial Aid Eligibility Matters More Than You Think

Every year, roughly 30% of undergraduate students who would qualify for a Federal Pell Grant never file the FAFSA. According to the National College Attainment Network, that’s approximately $3.75 billion in unclaimed grant money.

The gap is not about access. The FAFSA is free and takes 20 minutes to complete at StudentAid.gov. The gap is about assumption — students who believe they won’t qualify and never check.

This quiz gives you a fast estimate of which federal aid programs you may be eligible for, using the same factors the Department of Education uses on the FAFSA: household income, household size, dependency status, age, military affiliation, intended field, state, and enrollment timeline.

It is not a substitute for the FAFSA — only the official application determines your exact Student Aid Index (SAI) and award amounts. But it takes under two minutes and tells you whether filing is worth your time. (Spoiler: for most people, it is.)

What This Quiz Tells You vs. What the FAFSA Tells You

This quiz estimates which categories of federal aid you may qualify for — Pell Grants, FSEOG, work-study, military benefits — based on general eligibility criteria published by the Department of Education. The FAFSA calculates your exact SAI using your 2024 tax return, asset balances, and household composition. Think of this quiz as a screening tool: it shows you the programs worth investigating before you gather documents and file.

Federal Aid Programs at a Glance

The FAFSA opens access to multiple federal programs, each with different eligibility rules and award amounts. The largest is the Federal Pell Grant: up to $7,395 per year for the 2026-27 award year to students with an SAI below $14,790.

Pell Grants are awarded on a sliding scale — a lower SAI means a larger grant — and do not need to be repaid.

Beyond Pell, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) awards $100 to $4,000 per year to students with exceptional financial need, prioritizing those with the lowest SAI scores. Federal Work-Study provides part-time employment (typically $2,000-$3,000 per year) to students who demonstrate need.

For military-connected students, GI Bill and Tuition Assistance benefits stack on top of federal grants — filing the FAFSA does not reduce your military education benefits.

Independent Student Advantage

If you are 24 or older by December 31 of the award year, married, or have dependents, you file the FAFSA as an independent student. Only your own income is assessed — not your parents’. Independent adults earning under $35,000 frequently receive an SAI of $0, qualifying them for the maximum Pell Grant of $7,395.

How to Use Your Results

After completing the quiz, you will see an estimated aid profile listing the federal programs you are likely eligible for and an approximate annual aid range. These estimates are based on published eligibility thresholds from the U.S. Department of Education for the 2026-27 award year.

Your next step is straightforward: file the FAFSA at StudentAid.gov using your 2024 tax return to lock in your exact SAI and award amounts.

If you want a more specific estimate before comparing programs, use our Student Aid Index calculator to run the federal-formula version with your own numbers.

Calculate your Student Aid Index

Use your quiz answers as a starting point for a more specific SAI estimate

Open SAI calculator

Sources & Methodology

  1. Federal Student Aid — FSEOG (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant)
  2. 2026-27 Federal Pell Grant Maximum and Minimum Award Amounts (U.S. Dept. of Education)
  3. 2026-27 Student Aid Index (SAI) and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide (U.S. Dept. of Education)
  4. National College Attainment Network — FAFSA Tracker
  5. FAFSA and VA Education Benefits (U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs)