Questions, answered straight.

No. CollegeCompass360 is an independent, free service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or any government agency. We do not award grants. The official place to apply for federal aid is the FAFSA at studentaid.gov, and it is free.

Maybe. Federal grants are based on your income and family size, worked out on the FAFSA, and adults qualify the same way eighteen-year-olds do. You generally need a high school diploma, a GED or the equivalent, and to be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen.

Up to $7,395 a year from the Pell Grant in 2026–27. Most people receive less, and state grants and school aid can add to it. None of it is a loan, though leaving a program partway through a term can mean giving some back.

By filing the FAFSA, which is free at studentaid.gov. Eligibility is based on financial need, plus factors like your enrollment status and program. A school's financial aid office tells you your exact award after you apply. We cannot work it out for you.

No. We may be paid by education partners if you submit your details on their sites through links in our emails, which is how the service stays free to you.

We email you your next step, usually within a few minutes. We don’t pass your request to schools. We also add your email address to our newsletter about school and funding options, and you can use the unsubscribe link in any email at any time.

Often, yes. Federal grants generally require a diploma, a GED or the equivalent, and many programs accept a GED. Some schools have a pathway for students still working on one.

Only us, by email. We don’t pass your request to schools. If that ever changes, we will name each business on our partners page first, and the consent on the form will change with it.

CollegeCompass360, at 3379 Peachtree Rd NE, STE 700, Atlanta, GA 30326. You can reach us at support@collegecompass360.com.

CollegeCompass360 and NoGigiddy.com are under common ownership and share a contact database and email platform. If NoGigiddy.com already has a record for your email, your request is combined with it.