Financial aid

Accredited online colleges that accept FAFSA®

April 04, 2024 – 3 mins

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Get the financial aid you need for online school

Attending online college may feel different than going to a traditional school, but when it comes to financial aid, they’re often treated the same. See why you can submit the FAFSA®, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, to an online college and find out what popular online colleges accept the FAFSA®.

How to find out if the school you’re interested in accepts the FAFSA®

Your #1 takeaway should be that if the online school is accredited, it will accept federal financial aid the same way brick-and-mortar schools do. An accredited school is an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for upholding high levels of educational standards. This means you can definitely submit the FAFSA® to your accredited online school of choice. But keep in mind that some schools that are not accredited or hold certain types of accreditation will not accept the FAFSA®.

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Online schools that accept the FAFSA®

Here’s a list of online schools that are accredited and do accept the FAFSA®: 

Online schools that don’t accept the FAFSA®

Here are some online schools that do not accept the FAFSA®:

  • Penn Foster
  • Hill University
  • Columbus University
  • Atlantic University
  • Ashworth College

Your next steps

Do your research. Before you get too far in the application process for online college, do a quick search to see if the schools you’re looking at are accredited. Check out the U.S. Department of Education’s accreditation database to make sure.

Look into other financial aid options if you need them. Always look for free money first. That’s grants and scholarships. Next, look into any federal student loans you can get. After that, look into private student loans to fill any gaps.

Contact the experts. If you have questions about financial aid, you can always visit the financial aid website of the school you’re interested in or call their financial aid department. 

footnote Sallie Mae does not provide, and these materials are not meant to convey, financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult your own financial advisor, tax advisor, or attorney about your specific circumstances.

footnote External links and third-party references are provided for informational purposes only. Sallie Mae cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information provided by any third parties and assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions contained therein. Any copyrights, trademarks, and/or service marks used in these materials are the property of their respective owners.

footnote Sallie Mae, the Sallie Mae logo, and other Sallie Mae names and logos are service marks or registered service marks of Sallie Mae Bank. All other names and logos used are the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. 

footnote FAFSA® is a registered service mark of U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid. 

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