How To Hack The FAFSA In 2027-28: 7 Legal Moves That Lower Your SAI
Seven legal FAFSA moves that can lower your Student Aid Index for 2027-28, from 401(k) contributions and grandparent 529 plans to two-year income timing.
Find comprehensive information on financial aid, including the FAFSA process, scholarships, grants, and more.

Seven legal FAFSA moves that can lower your Student Aid Index for 2027-28, from 401(k) contributions and grandparent 529 plans to two-year income timing.

Pell Grants are issued by the Department of Education to undergraduate students who are able to demonstrate an exceptional financial need.

Miss the TEACH Grant service rules and every grant becomes a Direct Unsubsidized Loan with back interest. Here’s how to keep yours a grant.

The Pentagon named five distinguished military colleges in 2026. See what the designation means for cadets and the full list of 11 schools.

Unemployment benefits count as income on the FAFSA. Here’s how they affect your SAI and Pell Grant, and how to ask for more aid after a job loss.

A parent asks why FAFSA assumes she’ll pay for college. The answer traces to 1950s need analysis and a 1986 law that drew the line at 24.

A fifth year at an in-state public costs about $25,850 in tuition, housing and food. Here are the six college money derailers that add cost, and how to plan around each one.

Dependent undergrads can borrow $5,500 their first year, a limit unchanged since 2008. Here’s what the caps cover, what changed in 2026, and how much to borrow.

Trusts count as assets on the FAFSA and CSS Profile, even when the beneficiary can’t access the money. Here’s who reports it, which trusts are exempt, and what it costs in aid.

Seven states require the FAFSA or an opt-out form to earn a diploma, and three more track it. See every state’s rules, the repeals, and whether it worked.

Think you make too much for financial aid? The FAFSA has no income cutoff, the 2027-28 form opened early, and your state may require it to graduate.
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