If your parents are high earners, you might assume you won’t get any financial aid to help pay for college. But that’s not necessarily the case. The Department of Education doesn’t have an official income cutoff to qualify for federal financial aid. So, even if you think your parents’ income is too high, it’s still worth applying (it’s also free to do so).
Read on to learn how to get financial aid for college when you think your parents make too much money, as well as how to pay for college costs if you don’t qualify for financial aid.
Table of Contents
Key Points
• There is no official income cutoff for federal financial aid, making it worthwhile for families of all incomes to apply.
• The FAFSA is essential for accessing both need-based and non-need-based aid.
• Financial aid offices at colleges determine aid amounts based on cost of attendance and Student Aid Index.
• Changes in FAFSA rules for divorced parents took effect in the 2024-25 school year, focusing on financial support rather than custody.
• Scholarships and appeals can provide additional financial support options, regardless of parental income.
It All Starts With the FAFSA®
The first step to knowing whether or not you qualify for any financial aid is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). Even if you think your parents make too much to qualify for financial aid, it’s a smart idea to fill out and submit this form.
For one reason, there’s no income cutoff for federal student aid, so you may be surprised by what you are able to qualify for. For another, the FAFSA gives you access to non-need-based aid, such as Direct Unsubsidized Loans and institutional merit aid.
Who Determines Aid Amount and Type?
The financial aid office at your chosen college or career school will determine how much financial aid you are eligible to receive. Here’s a look at what goes into the decision.
1. The first factor considered is the cost of attendance (COA), or what it costs a typical student to attend a particular college or university for one academic year. Cost of attendance includes tuition and fees, as well as books, lodging, food, transportation, loan fees, and eligible study-abroad programs.
2. Then the school considers your Student Aid Index, or SAI (formerly called Expected Family Contribution, or EFC). Your SAI is an eligibility index number that results from the information that you provide in your FAFSA.
3. To determine how much need-based aid you can get, the school will subtract your SAI from the COA. Need-based aid includes Pell Grants, Direct Subsidized Loans, and Federal Work-Study.
4. To determine how much non-need-based aid you qualify for, the school takes the COA and subtracts any financial aid you’ve already been awarded. Federal non-need-based aid includes Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Direct PLUS Loans, and TEACH Grants.
One big difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans is when interest accrual starts. Because subsidized loans are need-based, the government covers any interest that accrues until loan repayment starts (typically six months after graduation). With unsubsidized loans, the interest starts to accrue from day one (though you don’t need to start making loan payments until six months after graduation).
You can estimate your eligibility for federal student aid by using either the Federal Student Aid Estimator or your school’s net price calculator (which you can find using the Department of Education’s search tool).
What Are Rules on Dependency, Divorce?
A student’s dependency status can make a big difference on their SAI. To be considered independent for federal financial aid, a student must be at least 24 years of age, married, on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, financially supporting dependent children, an orphan (both parents deceased), a ward of the court, or an emancipated minor.
The rules regarding financial aid and divorce changed for the 2024-25 school year. The new FAFSA rules require the parent who provided the most financial support in the “prior-prior” tax year to complete the FAFSA application instead of the custodial parent. Prior-prior refers to the tax year two years ago from the beginning of the college semester. For the 2025–26 award year, FAFSA would be looking at the 2023 tax year for this determination.
Other Routes to Meeting All Needs
The government isn’t the only path to pay for college. Here are several other options you may want to consider.
Scholarships
The best thing about scholarships? You don’t need to pay them back. The second best thing is that they’re most often based on merit, not need.
So even if your parents make a good living, you may still be eligible. While many are awarded solely on academics, others are given for athletic talent, specific interests, or being a member of a specific group.
There are numerous college scholarships out there, offered by schools, employers, individuals, private companies, nonprofits, communities, religious groups, and professional and social organizations. To suss out scholarship opportunities you might be eligible for, talk to your high school guidance counselor, your college’s financial aid office, and/or check out one of the many online scholarships search tools.
An Appeal of Your SAI
If your financial aid offer is less than you need to be able to afford college, you are within your rights to appeal to the school’s financial aid director.
You might want to be prepared to back up your request with detailed information such as your SAI, the amount you’ll need to successfully attend school, or a change in circumstances that will affect your family’s actual ability to pay, such as a parent’s job loss.
Recommended: How to Write a Financial Aid Appeal Letter
Parent Loans
Parents can apply for a Parent Plus Loan through the Department of Education. These loans are available to parents regardless of income, provided they do not have an adverse credit history. For loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2025, and before July 1, 2026, the interest rate is 8.94%. This is a fixed interest rate for the life of the loan. There is also an origination fee of 4.228%, which is deducted from each loan disbursement.
Some private lenders also offer parent student loans. You can apply for a private parent student loan directly with the lender. Before signing up for a private parent loan, it’s a good idea to shop around to find the lowest student loan interest rate you qualify for. Some lenders have a pre-qualification process that allows you to see a personalized rate before the lender does a hard credit pull.
Both federal and private parent loans can be used to cover any gaps left over after scholarships, grants, and other financial aid have been applied, up to the full cost of attendance.
Private Student Loans
Private student loans are also available to students to help them cover the costs of higher education, and they could be a good Plan B if there’s a gap between the aid you received (including federal student loans) and the cost of attendance.
Private student loans don’t have federal benefits like income-driven repayment plans and forgiveness programs, and interest rates are typically higher than undergraduate federal student loans. However, unlike federal student loans, you can apply for them at any time of the year. Plus, you can typically borrow up the full cost of attendance, which gives you more borrowing power than you get with federal student loans.
Private student loans can have either a fixed or variable interest rate, and rates are determined by the lender. Qualifying for a private student loan is based on the borrower’s creditworthiness rather than need.
Recommended: A Complete Guide to Private Student Loans
The Takeaway
If your parents make too much money to qualify for financial aid, you may have to shift course a little bit, but there are other ways to get help paying for all of the expenses of college. These include merit-based scholarships, non-need-based federal student loans, and private student loans.
If you’ve exhausted all federal student aid options, no-fee private student loans from SoFi can help you pay for school. The online application process is easy, and you can see rates and terms in just minutes. Repayment plans are flexible, so you can find an option that works for your financial plan and budget.
FAQ
Will I get financial aid if my parents make over $100,000?
Financial aid eligibility isn’t solely based on parental income. While a higher income can affect need-based aid, you may still qualify for merit-based scholarships, grants, or other forms of assistance. Completing the FAFSA and exploring options from your school and external sources can help you find available aid.
What salary is too high for financial aid?
There’s no fixed salary threshold for financial aid, but higher incomes can reduce eligibility for need-based assistance. The FAFSA considers various factors, including family size, assets, and expenses. Even with a high income, you might still qualify for some aid or merit-based scholarships. Always apply to explore your options.
At what point does FAFSA stop using parents’ income?
FAFSA typically stops using parents’ income when you are considered an independent student, which can happen if you are 24 years old, married, a graduate student, have dependents, are a veteran, or meet other specific criteria. Always check the latest FAFSA guidelines for the most accurate information.
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