 TITLE: Does the FAFSA Affect Your Credit Scores? CONTENT: Why You Should Bother Filling Out the FAFSA\n-------------------------------------------\nCollege is expensive. And while you should carefully consider how much student debt you're willing to take on, you'll never get a dime in federal grants, scholarships or loans if you don't fill out the FAFSA. There's no obligation, either: Once you've received your chosen schools' financial aid packages, you can always request lower loan amounts so you don't get in over your head.\nIn fact, even if you don't think you'll qualify for any financial aid, you should complete the FAFSA anyway. FAFSA isn't only relevant to federal student loans; it's also used by states, schools and other organizations when choosing recipients of grants and scholarships—even ones based on merit rather than financial need.\nSince filling out the FAFSA is relatively quick—and doesn't affect your credit scores—there's no harm in applying. Just proceed with caution when choosing which loans to accept. END