8 STEPS TO COMPLETING THE FAFSA FORM U.S. Department of Education Resource Article
Completing the FAFSA ® form is the first step to obtaining federal student aid to pay for your higher education. Follow these eight simple steps to set you up for success and submit it on time. If you are a parent, you might find 8 Easy Steps for Parents Completing the FAFSA form helpful. We also have a resource if you are a parent with more than one child going to college. Ready to fill out the FAFSA form?
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Create a StudentAid.gov account (FSA ID) Student: An FSA ID is a username and password you need to sign the FAFSA form online. If you don’t have an FSA ID, get an FSA ID here ASAP. It takes about 10 minutes to create an FSA ID. If this will be your first time filling out the FAFSA form, you’ll be able to use your FSA ID right away to sign and submit your FAFSA form online. If this is not your first time filling out the FAFSA form, you may need to wait one to three days for us to verify your info before you can use your FSA ID to renew your FAFSA form and sign it online.
Parent: If your child is required to report parent information on the FAFSA form, you need to create your own FSA ID in order to sign your child’s FAFSA form online. Create an FSA ID here. Parents are able to use their FSA IDs right away. Some of the most common FAFSA errors occur when the student and parent mix up their FSA IDs. If you don’t want your financial aid to be delayed, it’s extremely important that each parent and each student create his or her own FSA ID and that they do not share it with ANYONE, not even with each other.
Start the FAFSA form at StudentAid.gov The 2022–23 FAFSA form launches October 1! Even if your state and school deadlines aren’t for a while, you should complete the FAFSA form as soon as possible because some states and schools run out of financial aid early and have limited funds. Don’t wait until the last minute to apply!
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