The FAFSA can seem overwhelming the first time you complete it. The guide below walks you through the major sections of the FAFSA in the order you will encounter them. Take your time, read each question carefully, and review your answers before submitting.
Student Identity Information
To start your FAFSA form, go to FAFSA.gov and select “Start New Form.”
If you are not logged in to your StudentAid.gov account, you will be taken to the login page. Enter your username and password, then select the school year for which you are applying for aid.
The first question will ask who is starting the FAFSA form. Select “Student.” Then select “Start FAFSA Form.”
You will be taken to the Student Identity Information page. Review the personal information shown on the page, including your name, date of birth, Social Security number, email address, phone number, and permanent mailing address.
Make sure this information is correct. If you need to change something, update it through your StudentAid.gov account settings.
You will also select your state of residence. Usually, this is the state where you live when you are not attending college, career school, or trade school. You will also provide the month and year you became a resident of that state. If you do not know the exact date, you can provide your best estimate.
Important: You must provide consent and approval for your federal tax information to be transferred from the IRS into your FAFSA form. Even if you did not file taxes, you must provide consent and approval to be eligible for federal student aid.
Background
This section asks questions that help determine your dependency status and eligibility for federal student aid.
You will answer questions about your marital status and your plans for college, career school, or trade school.
On the Student Personal Circumstances page, select all of the circumstances that apply to you. If none apply, select “None of these apply.”
You may also be asked about your living situation. If you indicate that you were homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, the FAFSA may ask additional questions about who determined your status.
If none of the listed circumstances apply and you do not meet the other requirements for independent student status, you may be asked whether unusual circumstances prevent you from contacting your parents.
Students with unusual circumstances may be able to submit the FAFSA without parent information.
Dependent Students
If the FAFSA determines that you are a dependent student, you may be asked whether your parents are refusing to provide their information on the FAFSA.
Select “Yes” only if your parent or parents actually refuse to participate. Submitting the FAFSA without parent information because they refuse to participate generally means you will not qualify for a Federal Pell Grant or most other federal student aid. You may be eligible for a Direct Unsubsidized Loan.
Your dependency status is determined by federal student aid rules. It is not simply based on whether you live with your parents, receive financial support from them, or are claimed as a dependent on their taxes.
Demographics
This section asks questions about your background and, when applicable, your parents' background.
You will be asked about your sex, race, and ethnicity. These answers are used for research purposes and do not determine your eligibility for federal student aid.
You will also be asked about your citizenship status. To receive federal student aid, you generally must be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen.
Next, you will answer questions about your parents' education history. If you are unsure about an answer, select “Don't know.”
You may also be asked whether a parent or guardian was killed in the line of duty while serving in the U.S. armed forces or while performing official duties as a public safety officer.
High School Information
You will select your high school completion status. If you have or will have a high school diploma, you will provide information about your high school.
Enter your high school's state, city, and name to search for your school. Select the correct school from the search results.
If you completed or will complete a GED or another state- recognized high school equivalent, select the appropriate completion status and provide the type and issuing state.
Financials
The Financials section asks for information that helps determine your eligibility for financial aid. The questions you see will depend on whether you are a dependent or independent student.
Dependent Students
You will answer questions about your tax filing status and other financial information.
Because you provided consent and approval for your tax information to be transferred from the IRS, some federal tax information may already be available through the FAFSA process. You may still need to complete other financial fields.
Enter your own financial information when the FAFSA asks for student information. Your parent will provide their financial information in their portion of the FAFSA.
If the answer to a question is zero or does not apply to you, enter 0. Do not leave required financial questions blank.
Assets
You may be asked about your current cash, savings, and checking account balances.
You may also need to report the net worth of certain investments, including real estate, businesses, and income-producing farms. Follow the FAFSA instructions carefully about which assets to report.
Retirement accounts generally should not be reported as the investment assets requested in this section.
Independent Students
Independent students may be asked about federal benefits received by themselves or members of their family, tax filing status, family size, and the number of family members attending college.
Independent students may also be asked about child support received and their assets.
If your current financial situation has changed significantly and the information on your FAFSA does not accurately reflect your family's circumstances, submit the FAFSA first and then contact your school's financial aid office about a possible financial aid adjustment.
Colleges and Career Schools
In this section, select the colleges, universities, career schools, or trade schools you are considering or planning to attend.
The schools you list will receive your FAFSA information and can use it to determine the types and amounts of student aid you may qualify for.
You must add at least one school to your FAFSA. You can add up to 20 schools.
Include schools you are seriously considering, even if you are not sure whether you will ultimately attend them.
You can search for schools by entering the school's name or federal school code and selecting “Search.” You can also search by location.
Select the correct school from the search results. Repeat the process until you have added all of the schools you want to receive your FAFSA information.
For federal student aid purposes, the order in which you list schools generally does not matter. However, some states have specific requirements for the order of schools when determining eligibility for state aid.
Invite a Parent or Spouse
If the FAFSA determines that you are a dependent student, you will generally need to invite a legal parent to participate in your FAFSA.
If that parent is married and did not file taxes jointly with their spouse, the FAFSA may also require the parent's spouse to participate.
If you are an independent student and are married but did not file taxes jointly with your current spouse, you may need to invite your spouse.
How to Invite a Parent or Spouse
Enter the person's email address and select “Send Invite.”
After confirming the email address, the person will receive an invitation to participate in your FAFSA.
You may also receive an invitation link and code that you can share directly with your parent or spouse.
Important: Your parent or spouse will need their own StudentAid.gov account to access, complete, and sign their portion of your FAFSA.
Review and Sign
You are at the final section of the FAFSA. Before signing, carefully review all of your answers.
You can select “Expand All” to review all of your responses or review each section individually.
If you find an incorrect answer, select the question's link to return to that section and make the correction.
If you invited a parent or spouse, review the contributor information and check the status of their invitation and required sections.
Sign Your FAFSA
Once you have confirmed that your information is accurate, review the terms and conditions of the FAFSA.
Select the required checkbox to agree to the terms and then complete your electronic signature.
If a parent or spouse is required to participate in your FAFSA, they must complete and sign their required sections before the FAFSA can be fully submitted.
Submit Your FAFSA
When everything is complete, select “Submit FAFSA Form.”
Congratulations! You have completed your FAFSA.
Many FAFSA forms are processed quickly, although some may take additional time. Once your FAFSA is processed, you will receive information about your FAFSA Submission Summary.
Review your FAFSA Submission Summary carefully. It may contain important information about your estimated aid eligibility, corrections you need to make, or whether your FAFSA was selected for verification.
What's Next?
Completing the FAFSA is an important step, but your financial aid process may not be finished yet.
Watch your email and StudentAid.gov account for updates. Colleges may also contact you if they need additional information or documentation.
When you receive financial aid offers from colleges, carefully compare grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans.
If you have questions about your financial aid offer or believe your financial circumstances are not accurately represented, contact the financial aid office at the school.
Visit StudentAid.gov