You have been accepted into a master’s program, the tuition bill is approaching, and you remember using FAFSA as an undergraduate. Can you use it again—or is financial aid only for bachelor’s degrees?
Yes, you can get FAFSA for grad school. Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid can help you qualify for federal student loans, Federal Work-Study, and certain state, institutional, or program-based aid. However, FAFSA does not automatically pay your tuition, and graduate students generally have fewer federal grant options than undergraduates.
Does FAFSA cover graduate school?
FAFSA can be used for eligible graduate and professional programs, including many master’s, doctoral, law, medical, and graduate certificate programs. Your school uses the information from your application to determine which types of financial aid it can offer and how much you may receive.
Graduate aid may help with expenses included in the school’s cost of attendance, such as:
- Tuition and required fees
- Books, supplies, and equipment
- Housing and food
- Transportation
- Certain dependent-care or disability-related expenses
- Other education-related costs approved by the school
The school normally applies financial aid to tuition, fees, and other direct charges first. If eligible aid remains, the excess may be released to you for approved living and educational expenses.
Does FAFSA cover a master’s degree?
Yes. If you are wondering, “Does FAFSA cover masters?” or “Does FAFSA cover a masters degree?” the answer is that master’s students can submit the FAFSA and receive aid if they meet federal requirements and attend an eligible participating school.
FAFSA itself is an application, not a grant or loan. It does not guarantee that your entire master’s degree will be covered. Your actual offer depends on your program’s cost, your enrollment level, available funding, existing student debt, and the school’s financial aid policies.
Direct Unsubsidized Loans
For most master’s students, the main federal aid option is a Direct Unsubsidized Loan. Financial need is not required, but interest begins accumulating after the loan is disbursed, including while you are enrolled.
For periods of study beginning on or after July 1, 2026, a typical graduate student who does not qualify for a transition exception may borrow up to $20,500 annually, with a $100,000 aggregate limit for graduate borrowing. A separate lifetime federal student loan limit may also apply. Schools may award less than the maximum based on enrollment, other aid, program costs, or school-level limits. Review the current federal graduate loan limits and eligibility rules before planning your budget.
Graduate PLUS Loan changes
New Graduate PLUS Loans were eliminated for most graduate and professional students for periods of enrollment beginning July 1, 2026 or later. A limited transition exception may apply if you were enrolled in the same program as of June 30, 2026, received a Direct Loan for that program before July 1, 2026, and remain continuously enrolled at the same school.
Because these rules can significantly affect how much you can borrow, continuing students should ask their financial aid office whether they qualify for the exception. New students may need to combine Direct Unsubsidized Loans with scholarships, employer assistance, savings, payment plans, or carefully evaluated private loans.
Federal Work-Study
Graduate students may qualify for Federal Work-Study if their school participates and they demonstrate financial need. These positions are generally part time and may involve teaching, research, community service, or administrative work. Work-study funds are earned through paychecks rather than applied automatically as an upfront tuition discount.
Grants and scholarships
Federal Pell Grants generally are not available for master’s or other graduate degrees. The limited Pell exception for certain postbaccalaureate teacher-certification programs does not normally apply to students pursuing a graduate degree.
Submitting FAFSA may still help you qualify for grants, fellowships, assistantships, or scholarships offered by your state, university, academic department, or another organization. Some schools require a completed FAFSA even for institutional aid that is not funded by the federal government.
Do graduate students need parent information?
Graduate and professional students are considered independent for federal student aid purposes. You normally do not report your parents’ financial information, regardless of your age, whether they claim you on their taxes, or whether they help pay your expenses.
You will report your own required financial information. If you are married, your spouse may need to participate as a FAFSA contributor, particularly if you did not file a joint federal tax return. Every required contributor must provide consent and approval for the transfer of federal tax information and sign their section before the application is complete.
FAFSA deadlines for graduate school
You must submit a FAFSA for every academic year in which you want aid. For attendance between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027, the federal FAFSA deadline is June 30, 2027. Your school must also receive accurate, complete information by your last day of enrollment.
Do not treat the federal deadline as your target date. State and university priority deadlines are often much earlier, and limited funds such as work-study or institutional grants may be awarded until the money runs out. The 2027–28 FAFSA, covering attendance from July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2028, is scheduled to become available by October 1, 2026.
Summer enrollment can be confusing because schools may assign summer classes to the preceding or upcoming aid year. Ask your financial aid office which FAFSA form applies. If a deadline has already passed, review what to do after missing a FAFSA deadline rather than assuming that every form of aid is unavailable.
Common FAFSA mistakes graduate students make
- Selecting an undergraduate grade level instead of “master’s, doctorate, or graduate certificate program.”
- Completing the wrong FAFSA year, especially for a summer term.
- Waiting for the federal deadline and missing earlier school or state priority dates.
- Entering parent information even though graduate students are independent.
- Forgetting to invite a required spouse contributor or obtain all required signatures and consent.
- Leaving prospective schools off the application, preventing them from receiving FAFSA information.
- Ignoring requests for verification, tax documents, or other information in the school’s student portal.
- Assuming the maximum loan listed in an offer is the amount you must accept.
How to make a graduate aid offer go further
Compare the total cost of each program, not just tuition. Include fees, health insurance, commuting, housing, books, and interest that may accumulate while you study. Ask each department about assistantships, tuition waivers, research positions, employer partnerships, and scholarships that require separate applications.
You can accept less than the full loan amount offered. Borrowing only what you need can reduce both your balance and future interest costs. If your income has fallen or the FAFSA does not reflect a major financial change, contact the school about a professional judgment review. Ultimately, FAFSA can be an important starting point for graduate school funding, but the best plan usually combines available aid with a realistic budget and a clear understanding of repayment.
