If you’re heading to college or trade school and need help paying for it, the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is your first step. This guide walks you through everything—from creating your StudentAid.gov account to submitting your FAFSA and understanding what comes next.
FAFSA Application 2025-26
Before you can even begin the FAFSA form, you (the student) and any required contributors (like a parent or spouse) must create a StudentAid.gov account.
Who Needs an Account (FSA ID)?
- You (the student)
- Your parent(s), if you’re a dependent student
- Your spouse, if you’re married and required to include their info
Key Tips:
- Enter your name and Social Security number (SSN) exactly as they appear on your Social Security card.
- Contributors without an SSN can still create a StudentAid.gov account to fill out their section.
Documents You’ll Need to Complete the FAFSA Application
Before starting, gather these documents:
| Document Type | Who Needs It |
|---|---|
| Social Security Numbers (SSN) | You and your parent(s), if applicable |
| Federal tax returns (for FAFSA year) | You and/or your parent(s) |
| Records of child support received | You and/or your parent(s) |
| Current account balances (cash, checking, savings) | You and/or your parent(s) |
| Net worth of investments/businesses/farms | You and/or your parent(s) |
Keep these documents! You may need them later.
Getting Help Along the Way
If you’re stuck, you’ve got options:
- Click the “?” icons next to any FAFSA question for help tips.
- Use the “FAFSA Help” section in the online form.
- Chat with Aidan®, the virtual assistant.
- Contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center (via chat, email, or phone).
- Reach out to your college or school’s financial aid office.
How to Start Your FAFSA Form?
When to Apply:
- The 2025–26 FAFSA is open now for aid between July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026.
- Fill it out as soon as possible after the FAFSA launch to meet all deadlines.
How to Start:
- Go to the official FAFSA website.
- Select “Log In To Start”.
- Enter your StudentAid.gov username and password.
- Choose your role:
- Select “Student” if you’re filling out your own form.
- Select “Parent” if you’re starting your child’s FAFSA.
Summer Classes?
- Contact your school’s financial aid office to confirm which FAFSA year you should choose.
Listing Colleges and Career Schools
You must list at least one school on your FAFSA.
Key Points:
- Schools use your FAFSA info to figure out how much aid you qualify for.
- Use the School Search tool in FAFSA to find your school(s).
- You can list:
- Up to 20 schools on the online FAFSA
- Up to 10 schools on the PDF version
School Order Tip:
- The order doesn’t matter for federal aid.
- For state aid, some states require you to list a state school first. Check your state’s requirements.
Schools will not be able to see what other schools you listed.
Determining Dependency Status
Your dependency status determines whether you need to include your parent’s information.
You’re likely a dependent student if:
- You’re under age 24
- Not married
- Not a veteran or member of the armed forces
- Not a graduate/professional student
- Don’t have children or dependents you support financially
The FAFSA will ask questions to confirm your status.
Reporting Parent or Spouse Information
If you’re dependent:
- You must report your parent’s financial info.
If you’re married:
- If you filed taxes jointly: report both incomes.
- If filed separately: your spouse must be listed as a contributor and provide their info.
What if your parents are divorced or remarried?
- The FAFSA help section will guide you on which parent’s info to use and whether a step-parent must also be included.
Providing Financial Information
You’ll need to report financial info from a previous tax year:
| FAFSA Year | Tax Year Required |
|---|---|
| 2025–26 | 2023 |
| 2024–25 | 2022 |
You’ll also report:
- Balances of savings and checking accounts
- Investments (excluding retirement accounts)
- Child support received
- Business or farm value (if applicable)
Handling Special Tax or Marital Situations
What if your marital status changed since filing taxes?
Examples:
- You were married in 2023, but now divorced? Subtract your ex-spouse’s income.
- You were single in 2023, but now married? Add your current spouse’s 2023 income.
- You were married in 2023, and remarried? Include your new spouse’s income.
Use the FAFSA help tool for detailed, situation-specific guidance.
IRS Tax Information Transfer and Consent
Your tax information will be automatically transferred from the IRS.
Each contributor must:
- Consent to share their info with the IRS.
- Approve use of their tax data to determine aid eligibility.
- Allow their info to be shared with schools and aid offices.
Even if a contributor:
- Didn’t file taxes
- Doesn’t have an SSN
- Filed taxes outside the U.S.
They still must provide consent.
IMPORTANT: If a required contributor doesn’t provide consent, you will not be eligible for federal aid, even if you manually enter their tax info.
To protect your privacy, tax info will not appear on the FAFSA form or your confirmation summary.
Signing and Submitting the FAFSA Form
Once you fill out your section:
- Electronically sign using your FSA ID.
- Submit your section of the FAFSA.
- Wait for other contributors (parents, spouse) to do the same:
- Provide their info
- Give consent
- Sign and submit
Only when all required contributors have signed and submitted will your FAFSA be processed.
What Happens After You Submit?
Once your FAFSA is fully submitted:
You’ll receive a confirmation page showing:
- Completion date
- Data release number
- Estimated Student Aid Index (SAI)
- Estimated Pell Grant eligibility
- Info about other aid you may qualify for
The confirmation is emailed to you for your records.
Note: The SAI you see is only an estimate. The official number will appear on your FAFSA Submission Summary later.
Final Tips
- Submit your FAFSA as early as possible – some aid is first come, first served.
- Revisit your FAFSA each year – you must reapply annually for financial aid.
- Keep a folder with all your info and confirmations.
- Contact your college’s financial aid office if anything changes after you file.
By following this guide, you’ll be well on your way to securing financial aid for your education. You’ve got this!
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Ember Orion is a journalism student who loves to write about social security and government schemes. Ember’s dream is to become a top-level anchor in the USA.