Student Funding: Apply Early, Use Official Sites, and Never Pay for the FAFSA
Federal Student Aid's advice in plain words: apply early, use official sites, and never pay to file the FAFSA or find scholarships.
Paying for school usually means stacking several sources: federal aid, state aid, your school's own aid, and scholarships. Each has its own rules and deadlines. Federal Student Aid, the office of the U.S. Department of Education that runs the FAFSA, has published practical advice that boils down to three habits: start early, use the official website, and do not pay for help you can get free.
Habit 1: Start early and track every deadline
In a Federal Student Aid webinar on applying for scholarships and federal aid (transcript published on StudentAid.gov), the presenter advises: "You want to complete the FAFSA as soon as possible." He explains why: "There is available funding, some is first come first serve, but there are also State deadlines." He adds that state, institutional, and scholarship deadlines can differ from the FAFSA deadline, so "You must be mindful of deadlines."
Federal Student Aid's article "7 Things To Do After Submitting Your FAFSA Form" makes the same point about scholarships: "Don't wait until you receive your financial aid offers to start applying for scholarships." It notes that many scholarships "have early deadlines" and suggests setting a goal, such as applying to one scholarship per week.
The practical takeaway: you need one place where you can see what you are eligible for and when each application is due, and you need to check each deadline against the official source.
Habit 2: Use the official website
The same webinar is direct about which site to use: "Make sure you have the right website. Anything with the government is going to be fafsa.gov." The presenter warns that look-alike addresses are not the official application and recommends making sure you land on fafsa.gov.
The "7 Things" article gives similar advice for scholarships: "Check that the scholarships are legitimate and the information you're finding comes from a trusted source."
This is the principle GrantSift (https://grants.frontkiosk.net) is built on. Every listing links to its official source, so the scholarship provider's or agency's own page is always one click away, and that page is where you confirm the rules and apply.
Habit 3: Do not pay for what is free
Federal Student Aid is clear on fees. In the webinar: "the FAFSA is free" and "You should never have to pay in order to get help to fill out the form." In the "7 Things" article: "Keep in mind that you don't have to pay to find scholarships or other financial aid."
HHS, writing about grant scams more broadly, lists warning lines that apply to scholarships too, including "This grant/scholarship is guaranteed or your money back," "I just need your credit card or bank account number to hold this grant/scholarship," and "The grant/scholarship will just cost you a one-time fee."
We take this seriously, and so we want to be upfront. GrantSift is free to search and browse, and every listing links to its official source. Paid plans (Pro at $39 a month, Lifetime at $97 one-time) add extra tools: funder contacts, saved grants with tracking, matches, checklists and a weekly digest. You do not need GrantSift, or any paid service, to find or apply for student aid. The FAFSA is free at fafsa.gov, and help is available free from Federal Student Aid and your school's financial aid office. GrantSift never charges an application fee, never asks for your FSA ID, cannot guarantee any award, and has no role in who gets funded. If our tools save you time, great. If not, the official sources are always free.
Federal Student Aid does not endorse GrantSift. We cite its guidance because it is the best available advice for students.
A simple student funding plan
- File the FAFSA early at fafsa.gov, as Federal Student Aid recommends.
- List your deadlines: federal, state, school, and each scholarship. They are often different.
- Search for scholarships and grants that match your program, location, and background.
- Click through to the official source for every opportunity and confirm the details there.
- Apply steadily, for example one scholarship per week, rather than in a last-minute rush.
- Never pay to apply, and never share bank or card details to "hold" an award.
For Canadian students
The same habits apply in Canada. Apply through your province's official student aid program (in Ontario, that is OSAP on ontario.ca), check deadlines on official pages, and treat any fee to "access" government aid as a red flag. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre notes that government grant and loan services are offered free of charge by government departments or agencies.
The bottom line
The students who get the most aid are usually not the ones with secret sources. They are the ones who start early, stay organized, and work directly with official programs. Build those habits, and use tools that send you to the source rather than standing in front of it.
Browse student funding listings with official source links at https://grants.frontkiosk.net.
Sources
- Federal Student Aid, "7 Things To Do After Submitting Your FAFSA Form": https://studentaid.gov/articles/things-after-fafsa/
- Federal Student Aid, "Applying for Scholarships and Federal Financial Aid" webinar transcript: https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/applying-scholarships-aid-webinar-transcript.pdf
- HHS, "Avoid Grant Scams": https://www.hhs.gov/grants-contracts/grants/avoid-grant-scams/index.html
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, "Grant and loan": https://antifraudcentre.ca/scams-fraudes/loan-pret-eng.htm