Meet Federal Student Aid

The office of Federal Student Aid provides grants, work-study funds, and loans for college or career school.

About Us

Who We Are

Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, is the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation. At the office of Federal Student Aid, our more than 1,400 employees help make college education possible for every dedicated mind by providing more than $114 billion in federal grants, work‑study funds, and loans each year to more than 9.7 million students paying for college or career school. We are proud to sponsor millions of American minds pursuing their higher education dreams.

What We Do

Federal Student Aid is responsible for managing the student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. These programs provide grants, work-study funds, and loans to students attending college or career school. We ensure students and their families can benefit from these programs by

  • informing students and families about the availability of the federal student aid programs and the process for applying for and receiving aid from those programs;
  • developing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form and processing approximately 17.5 million FAFSA submissions each year;
  • accurately disbursing, reconciling, and accounting for all federal student aid funds that are delivered to students each year through more than 5,400 colleges and career schools;
  • managing the outstanding federal student loan portfolio and securing repayment from federal student loan borrowers;
  • offering free assistance to students, parents, and borrowers throughout the entire financial aid process; and
  • providing oversight and monitoring of all program participants—schools, financial entities, and students—to ensure compliance with the laws, regulations, and policies governing the federal student aid programs.

Purpose of This Site

FinancialAidToolkit.ed.gov aims to provide school counselors and other college access mentors with information and resources about federal student aid. This site contains material about different types of financial aid, the FAFSA process, outreach, and training opportunities. FinancialAidToolkit.ed.gov also contains fact sheets, videos, PowerPoint presentations, and other resources to share with students to help them learn about the process of applying for, receiving, and repaying financial aid. Find tips about how to use this site.

Featured Resources

Learn more about the office of Federal Student Aid: Find our strategic plan and annual performance reports, data center with the latest data relating to our programs, and contracting and employment opportunities.

Visit StudentAid.gov, our website for students and parents, for detailed information about preparing for college, types of aid, eligibility, applying for aid and the FAFSA form, and repaying loans.