The official FAFSA website is fafsa.gov. That’s .gov! You never have to pay to complete the FAFSA. If you’re asked for credit card information, you’re not on the official government site.
An FSA ID is a username and password that you must use to log in to certain U.S. Department of Education (ED) websites, including fafsa.gov. You AND your parent, if you’re considered a dependent student, will each need your own, separate FSA IDs if you each want to sign your FAFSA online.
Why is it so important to get an FSA ID early? Well, once you register for an FSA ID, you may need to wait up to three days before you can use it to sign your FAFSA. If you don’t want your FAFSA to be delayed, create an FSA ID now. If you’re a dependent student, have your parent create an FSA ID too. Just DO NOT share your FSA IDs with each other!
If you want to get the most financial aid possible, fill out the FAFSA ASAP after October 1. Some financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and some states and colleges run out of money early, so even if your deadlines aren’t for a while, get your FAFSA done ASAP. Now that you’re required to use earlier (2015) tax information to complete the FAFSA, you have no excuse to wait!
As I said, you should fill out the FAFSA as soon as you can, but you should DEFINITELY fill it out before your earliest FAFSA deadline. Each state and school sets its own deadline. Some priority deadlines will be earlier this year because the FAFSA is available earlier. To maximize the amount of your financial aid, fill out your FAFSA (and any other financial aid applications that may be required by your state or school) by your earliest deadline, if not sooner!
When you go to log in to fafsa.gov, you will be given the option to “Enter your (the student’s) FSA ID” OR “Enter the student’s information.” If you are the student, we highly recommend choosing the first option (highlighted below) if you can. If you log in with your FSA ID, a lot of your information (name, Social Security number, date of birth, etc.) will be automatically loaded into your application. This will prevent you from running into a common error that occurs when your verified FSA ID information doesn’t match the information on your FAFSA. Additionally, you won’t have to provide your FSA ID again to sign your FAFSA electronically.
When it comes to completing the FAFSA, you want to read each definition and question carefully, because sometimes, how the FAFSA wants you to answer certain questions is not how you’d intuitively answer the question.
Legal Guardianship: One question on the FAFSA asks: “As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you in legal guardianship?” Many students incorrectly answer “yes” here. For this question, the definition of legal guardianship does not include your parents, even if they were appointed by a court to be your guardian. You are also not considered a legal guardian of yourself.
Your Number of Family Members (Household size): The FAFSA has a specific definition of how your or your parents’ household size should be determined. Read the instructions carefully. Many students incorrectly report this number, especially when the student doesn’t physically live with the parent.
Number of Family Members in College: Enter the number of people in your (or your parents’) household who will attend college at the same time you attend college. Don’t forget to include yourself. Do not include your parents in this number. This number should never be greater than your number of family members.
Confusing Parent and Student Information: I know there are many parents out there who fill out the FAFSA for their child, but remember, the FAFSA is the student’s application. When the FAFSA says “you” or “your”, it’s referring to the student, so make sure to enter your (the student’s) information. If we are asking for your parent’s information, we will specify that in the question.
Entering the Wrong Name (Yes, I’m serious): You wouldn’t believe how many people have issues with their FAFSA because they entered an incorrect name on the application. It doesn’t matter if you’re Madonna, or Drake, or whatever Snoop Lion is calling himself these days. You must enter your full name as it appears on your Social Security card. No nicknames.
Entering the Wrong Social Security Number (SSN): When we process FAFSAs, we cross-check your Social Security number with the Social Security Administration. To avoid delays in processing your application, triple-check that you have entered the correct SSN. If you meet our basic eligibility criteria, but you or your parents don’t have an SSN, follow these instructions.
Even if you fully support yourself, pay your own bills, and file your own taxes, you may still be considered a dependent student for federal student aid purposes, and therefore, you’ll need to provide parent information on your FAFSA. Dependency guidelines for the FAFSA are determined by Congress and are different from those of the IRS. Find out whether you need to provide parent information by answering these questions.
If you’re considered a dependent student and don’t provide parent information, your FAFSA may not be processed, you may not receive an EFC and/or you may only qualify for unsubsidized loans.
Bonus: Who is my parent when I fill out the FAFSA?
Two-thirds of precollege FAFSA applicants list only one college on their applications. Unless you are only applying to one college or already know where you’re going to school, this is a mistake! Colleges can’t see the other schools you’ve added, so you should add ANY college you are considering to your FAFSA, even if you aren’t sure whether you’ll apply or be accepted. You can add up to 10 schools at a time. If you’re applying to more than 10 schools, follow these steps.
TIP: It doesn’t hurt your application to add more schools. In fact, you don’t even have to remove schools you later decide not to apply to. If you don’t end up applying or getting accepted to a school, the school can just disregard your FAFSA. But you can remove schools at any time to make room for new schools.
So many students answer every single question that is asked, but fail to actually sign the FAFSA with their FSA ID and submit it. This happens for many reasons —maybe you forgot your FSA ID, or your parent isn’t with you to sign with the parent FSA ID —so the FAFSA is left incomplete. Don’t let this happen to you.
If you’re not able to sign with your FSA ID, you and/or your parent have the option to mail a signature page. If you would like confirmation that your FAFSA has been submitted, you can check your status immediately after you submit your FAFSA online.
Do You have to fill out the section for your child, if you, the parent is the actual one receiving the child support or do the child have to say that they are ones receiving it. It seems really tricky and confusing, I don’t want to mess up the application for the child. Also, what happens when C.S. ends at the age of 18?
Your child should fill out the section for the “student” but you can be there to help them. The child support question will come up on the financial section. There is a statute that requires child support received be reported as “untaxed income and benefits.” If your child does not receive child support in the future, you do not need to report it as untaxed income.
My son does not turn 18 until May 2017 so he cannot register with Selective Service. It says if you are not registered for Selective Service, you are not eligible for financial aid. Does that mean I have to wait until he turns 18 to complete the FAFSA?
No, you can complete the FAFSA now! He should select “no” and then “register me.” They’ll register him when he is within 30 days of his 18th birthday.
Is receipt of child support arrears considered part of parent income on the FAFSA?
My son didn’t get approved for this (FAFSA), he said that our income is over the limit. We are family of 4 and made $54k last year (gross income) . Is it possible to re-apply again?
These factors also change every year, so even if your income has changed or stayed the same, there might be a situation at the school where they have less (or more) aid to disburse. The same can be said for state aid, maybe one year your state can offer more money than the next depending on their budget. Don’t forget to apply for as many scholarships as you can too.
I have already filed my taxes for 2015, but for 2016 I am going to claim myself because I now live on my own and not at home. Do I still have to use my 2015 information or can I wait till I file for 2016?
You are required to use 2015 tax information. You will not have the option to input 2016 financial info on the 2017-18 FAFSA.
My husband lost his job in January 2016. In 2015 he made over $100,000. He is hoping the union will get his job back, but still no word on that. He has been getting paid from a union Insurance policy that is non taxable, but it runs out in December. So in 2017 when my son will actually start college my husband will not have any income. Is there some way that we can report the drastic change in our income?
Each student needs their own FSA ID and FAFSA. However, one parent can sign both child’s FAFSA using their (parent) FSA ID. The option to transfer parent info a sibling’s FAFSA will appear on the confirmation page, and it will only work if the sibling has NOT started a new FAFSA yet. When you get to the final step, there’s an option of transferring information to a brand new FAFSA (your other child’s). Make sure everyone has an FSA ID before you do this!
We had a larger-than-normal income in 2015, and I was hoping to use our 2016 income tax information to file the FAFSA for our daughter who will be starting school fall of 2017. It sounds like that’s not possible based on what’s posted here–or is there a way around it?
Our income in 2015 was very high middle class, but for 2016 we lost almost all our income and may not ever recover. If I have to report our old income it is entirely inaccurate of our financial status. How can the application now help us with such outdated information? I don’t understand why we aren’t using current information. What are we to do when filing?
The bursar’s office at LSU told a friend of mine that FAFSA only needs to be filed the first year. Is this true?
For example, one factor we use to calculate your aid is your year in school.
My 2015 taxes reflect income I received from my deceased father’s retirement account and the payments, which I have been receiving quarterly over the last 10 years came to an end in February of this year. How do I show the decrease in my income from my 2015 return?
If there are financial or family circumstances that cannot be reflected on your FAFSA, contact the school’s financial aid office to ask for a “professional judgment” review after you file your FAFSA.
The IRS Retrieval tool does not work. It would not accept the address l input even though I am putting the exact address on the 2015 1040 even though I am looking at the tax form as I am filling out the FAFSA.
Daughter not 18 until August. Okay for her to fill and sign FAFSA form?
Our income for 2016 is $30k less. Are we still required to use the income for 2015?
You are required to use 2015 tax information. If there are financial or family circumstances that cannot be reflected on your FAFSA, contact the school’s financial aid office to ask for a “professional judgment” review after you file your FAFSA.
My wife died several years ago & through text in her will I created a bypass or residual trust using only life insurance proceeds (nothing else was deposited into the trust).
In an earlier comment to a widow on Nov 10 you said that whole life insurance proceeds are not included in the FAFSA calculation. My wife’s life insurance consisted of two policies – one whole life and one term. Both were deposited into the trust which now generates about $30K in annual income reported on my 1040 (from a Schedule K-1).
I know the trust annual income will be counted in the FAFSA but do I have to report the trust fund itself as an asset if it was funded solely using life insurance money?
Greeting. I have one kid in undergrad and one as a grad student. The grad student i understand to be “independent” and so they dont need parents info on the form.
Both are living with us when not in school and so are not living on their own.
For my undergrad’s form, how many students in the family’s household are in school? does the independent grad student brother count?
Same for the graduate. He is “independent” so I guess that his “household” is only one person even though he lives with us when not in school??
Who is included in the student’s household size?
Your household size should include yourself, your spouse (if married) and children and other people (not your children or spouse) who will receive more than half of their support from you (and your spouse) between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018. You may also include any unborn children if they will be born during the school year.
Who is included in the parents’ household size?
Your parents’ household size should include yourself, your parent(s), and the number of children (other than yourself) who will receive more than half of their support from your parents between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018. Also include the number of people who are not your parents’ children but who live with your parents and receive more than half of their support from your parents, and will continue to receive more than half of their support from your parents between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018.
For independent student, it should be 1 unless they are married or have dependents.
We understand that some families’ income may have changed significantly since the 2015 tax year. If this is the case for you, you must complete the FAFSA with the info it asks for (2015). Then, after filing your FAFSA, contact the financial aid office at your school to explain and document the change in income. The school has the ability to assess your situation and update your FAFSA accordingly.
My husbands income dropped dramatically this year from last year. How do we report this difference?
Some families are concerned about being required to provide older (2015) tax information when completing a FAFSA because that information may not reflect their current financial situation. If your financial or family circumstances have changed, submit the FAFSA using 2015 information and then contact the college’s financial aid office to ask for a “professional judgment” review.
Get a response. It’s been a month.
We had income from my deceased parents’ trust in 2015, which hurt our financial aid. If we use 2015 tax info, does that mean we’ll have that against us again?
You are required to use 2015 tax information. Some families are concerned about being required to provide older (2015) tax information when completing a FAFSA because that information may not reflect their current financial situation. If your financial or family circumstances have changed, submit the FAFSA using 2015 information and then contact the college’s financial aid office to ask for a “professional judgment” review.
Do we need to list our IRA’S or 401 accounts under the investment section?
You should use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to automatically import this info.
Investments do not include the home in which you (and your spouse) live; cash, savings and checking accounts; the value of life insurance and retirement plans (401[k] plans, pension funds, annuities, non-education IRAs, Keogh plans, etc.).
I am a senior and don’t have a social security number as my dad is in a TN visa. Can I get financial aid?
In 2015 I was working full time, but I haven’t worked since May of 2016. Do I still have to report the income from 2015, which is way more than I made this year? I don’t want to hurt my kids chances of getting more scholarship or grants.
Why won’t the FAFSA update with my 2016 tax info? My income was substantially less in 2016 than in 2015. I don’t feel this is accurate and may impact aid offered to my college children.
My husband and I are in the process of getting divorced but we still live in the same house. We file separate income taxes and have done so for several years. I asked him for his return so I can add them to my sons fafsa but he refuses. He says he will not be helping with this expense since he finds college is a waste of money. He doesn’t support them financially as he feels that’s my responsibility not his. How do I explain this on a fafsa? Ultimately they will get his income information somehow and they will raise our EIC but he will not contribute and that will become an expense that will fall solely on me.
You should talk to the school’s financial aid office about this. You can explain your situation to the financial aid adviser and from there, they can determine if additional documentation is needed to support your claim that the father will not be supporting their child for college.
My husband is finishing up a degree this year and is considering going back for another program next academic year. Should he complete the FAFSA now, even though he may not end up going to college next year should he decide to work instead of go back to school?
Yes. Complete the FAFSA now. It doesn’t hurt to submit it and see your award package. If you decide not to go to school, you just tell the college.
What if I have changed jobs and make much less this year than last year on my taxes.
My children and I receive Survivors benefits. Do I include this as income?
I have not had earned income for several years. Only ss and ssi so i have not filed taxes. How do i deal with the irs questions?
Do both parents have to sign the fasfa? Can only one parent sign?
I am married and have two sons ages 17 and 21. I entered my household size as 4 because even though my eldest son does have a job, he lives with me and I pay for his medical insurance, car insurance, his food and of course, housing. My youngest son has already applied and been admitted for 2017-2018 as a first year freshman. My eldest son is also completing his own FAFSA and tells me he wants to enroll in college himself for the first time in 2017-2018 but isn’t 100% sure. Should I go ahead and list 2 children to be enrolled in college on my FAFSA? And he should on his too, correct? What happens if he ends up not going at the last minute?
Number of family members in college has an impact on your financial aid. Make sure you answer that question appropriately.
The 2017-18 FAFSA is for students going to college between July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018. Complete a FAFSA every year you’re in college.
I have finally gotten thru entering all of the parent’s financials and now we are on “student financials” but the only option is to select which tax form she filed. She was 15 last year, had no job so there was no reason for her to file an income tax return. There’s no option that says “No taxes submitted” or something like that. How do we get past this?
1) I have seen that I should “subtract” his income. Is there a formal process for this, or do I simply enter ‘0″ for the relevant questions?
2) I received a life insurance payment. Does that count as part of my savings now?
Select I am divorced or widowed if you are divorced or widowed.
If you filed your 2015 taxes as married but you’re no longer married when you fill out the 2017-18 FAFSA, you’ll need to subtract your late husband’s income.
The cash value or equity of a whole life insurance policy isn’t reported as an asset, but an insurance settlement does count as income on the FAFSA.
My husband receives Social Security Disability (SSDI) but the FAFSA language about reporting this as untaxed income is ambiguous. Is this considered “disability” income which IS reported as untaxed income –OR– is this considered “Social Security” income which is NOT reported as untaxed income?
The FAFSA question will say: What was the total of your other untaxed income or benefits?
Enter the total amount of any other untaxed income or benefits, such as workers compensation, Black Lung Benefits, untaxed portions of Railroad Retirement Benefits, disability benefits, etc. that you (and, if married, your spouse) received in 2015. Also include the untaxed portions of health savings accounts from IRS Form 1040 – line 25.
Do not include extended foster care benefits, student aid, earned income credit, child tax credit, welfare payments, untaxed Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act educational benefits, on-base military housing or a military housing allowance, combat pay, benefits from flexible spending arrangements (e.g., cafeteria plans), foreign income exclusion or credit for federal tax on special fuels.
In the FAFSA explanation above, “disability benefits” refers to long term disability benefits from employers.
“Social Security disability benefits” consists of Social Security Disability (SSD, or SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Husband receives pay from military (medically retired due to asthma) . Money is non taxable. Do we have to claim it on fasfa?