<p>What is the difference between the “institution method” and the “federal method” on the application?</p>
<p>Is one for public and one for state schools?
Or am I completely wrong and they relate to something else entirely?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>public schools are state schools.</p>
<p>Those require Federal method and some that is all they require.</p>
<p>Private schools often require institutional method as well.</p>
<p>FAFSA = federal method. This is used for determining eligibility for federal aid such as Pell grants, Perkins loans, Stafford loans etc. FAFSA only schools will also use it to determine eligibility for their own (institutional) aid. These may be private or State schools.</p>
<p>Institutional methodology - some schools take more into account than FAFSA such as home equity which FAFSA does not ask for. They will use the IM for determining their own aid. They still have to use FAFSA to determine federal aid.</p>
<p>Almost all schools will require FAFSA. You cannot qualify for federal aid without it. (I say almost because I believe there are a very few schools that do not accept federal aid - think I read that somewhere but I may have imagined it).</p>
<p>Some will additionally require css/profile and/or some form of their own.</p>
<p>There are some public universities that also use the institutional methodology and the Profile (don’t UVA and UMich?).</p>