Don’t forget to list our FAFSA Code:
The FAFSA: the most important
nancial aid form you’ll ever ll out
The Free Application for Federal
Student Aid, or FAFSA, is used
by colleges and the federal
government to determine your
eligibility for grants, need-based
scholarships, loans and work-
study programs.
The FAFSA becomes available each year on October
1, and the sooner you submit it, the more aid will
be available to you. Each school and some states
have their own priority deadlines as well. You can
look up your state’s deadline here.
Get Ready!
Filing the FAFSA isn’t as
complicated or time-consuming
as it sounds – a little preparation
will help make the process go
smoothly. Use this worksheet to
get a sneak preview of what the
form looks like and the questions it asks!
Before you can submit your FAFSA, you’ll need to
create your FSA ID. You’ll need an FSA ID to log in
to your account, sign the FAFSA and make changes
or add schools. You and your parent must create
separate FSA IDs.
Get Filing!
An FSA ID. Your FSA ID allows you to log in
to your account, sign the FAFSA and make
changes or add schools. You and your parent
must create separate FSA IDs. Create this
rst!
You and your parent’s Social Security or
Alien Registration number. Here’s what to do
if your parent doesn’t have a Social Security
number.
Driver’s license (if you have one)
Your and your parent’s federal income tax
returns and W-2s from 2019 (you can use
the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to import this
data!)
Bank statement
If applicable, other records of money
earned, and records of investments and
untaxed income
Here’s a checklist of everything you and your
parent need to ll out, sign and submit the
FAFSA:
Don’t worry if you can’t nd these materials right away:
you can start the FAFSA and come back as many times
as you need to update information or add schools. The
important thing is to get started!
Get Help
Don’t worry about getting stuck while you’re lling out the FAFSA – lots of help
is available, starting with your school’s nancial aid ofce. They’ll help you with any
questions you have at any step of the process.
On the FAFSA app and website, there are tooltips next to each question, detailed help
pages and a chat option. There’s also an 800 number to call (1-800-4FED-AID).
Watch this webinar for a line-by-line demo of how to ll out the FAFSA!
The FAFSA even has its own YouTube channel! Check it out for step-by-step instructions on creating an
FSA ID and lling out the form, help understanding different types of aid and more.