The FAFSA

An FSA ID is a username/password used to log in to U.S. Department of Education websites. You will need an FSA ID.

If you are a dependent student on the FAFSA, one or both of your parents will also need their own FSA ID in order to sign the FAFSA. If your parent does not have a Social Security Number and they are required to contribute their information on your FAFSA, they can use this instruction sheet to help them create an FSA ID.

If you are married, your spouse may also be required to create an FSA ID and contribute their information on your FAFSA.

You will need your Social Security Number (SSN). If you are not a U.S. citizen, but will qualify as an eligible non-citizen, you will also need your Alien Registration number.

If you are a dependent student, you will need one or both parents' SSN.

If you are married, you will need your spouse's SSN.

Contributors refer to every individual required to provide tax information and a signature on the FAFSA. Contributors can include you, your spouse, your parent(s), or your stepparent. They are determined by your dependency status, tax filing status, and marital status. Those individuals determined to be your contributors will receive an email notifying them that they need to provide their information. Each contributor must create their own FSA ID and consent to having their information provided on your FAFSA.

• If you are currently married, your spouse will need to consent to transfer their tax information.
• If you are deemed “dependent” by FAFSA, you will need your parent(s) to transfer their tax information. Lack of financial support or not being claimed on your parents' taxes does not determine dependency status for financial aid purposes.
• For students whose parents are divorced or separated, the parent listed on the FAFSA is the parent who provides the most financial support, rather than the parent with whom you lived the most over the past 12 months. If both parents provide equal financial support, you should report the parent with the highest income on the FAFSA.

Being a contributor does not mean they are responsible for paying your education costs, but it does mean their information is required to determine your financial aid eligibility. Without their information the FAFSA will be incomplete, and you will not be eligible to receive aid.

Review this graphic for additional information about contributors.

You and your contributors will be required to consent to have your tax information transferred directly from the IRS using the Direct Data Exchange (DDX). In some cases, you or your contributors may need to input tax data directly into the FAFSA. The tax documents will be needed to enter the tax information into the FAFSA manually.

Interest income, untaxed portions of IRA distributions (except rollovers), etc., are all examples of untaxed income you are required to report on the FAFSA. You will want to reference the appropriate year’s records of this information for you and your parents (if dependent).

Assets include savings and checking account balances, child support received, as well as the value of investments such as stocks/bonds/real estate (except the home in which your family lives). You should report the current amounts as of the date you sign the FAFSA.