Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is one of the most important things you can do to receive financial aid for college! Here’s everything you’ll need to complete the FAFSA.

Before starting your FAFSA

You and your contributors must create StudentAid.gov accounts (formerly known as FSA IDs) to be able to complete the FAFSA. A contributor is anyone who is required to provide information on the FAFSA, such as:

• Students (that’s you)
• Parent(s)/Step parent(s)
• Spouses (if applicable)

While you and your contributors can technically create your StudentAid.gov accounts right before completing the FAFSA, we strongly recommend that you create them 1-3 days in advance. This will allow time for your StudentAid.gov accounts to be authenticated, so that when you complete the FAFSA, all of your personal information will automatically appear on the form. If you create your StudentAid.gov accounts right before completing the FAFSA, you will have to enter all of your personal information manually, which can mean more time and hassle.

What information do I need to complete the FAFSA?

Here is everything you will need to complete the FAFSA:

• Your Social Security number.
• Your contributors’ Social Security numbers.
• USCIS registration number for eligible noncitizens.
• 2023 federal tax information, tax documents, or tax returns, including IRS W-2 information for you and your contributors (this will be pulled electronically from the IRS, but is good to have on hand).
• Records of your untaxed income, such as child support received for you and for your contributors if you are a dependent student.
• Checking and savings account balances.
• Net worth of investments, including stocks, bonds, real estate (but not including the home in which you live), and business and farm assets for you and your contributors.
• A list of colleges (up to 20) you intend to apply to (if you’re completing the FAFSA for the first time). You do not need to be accepted to any of these colleges at the time of completing your FAFSA.

Complete the FAFSA! 

To complete your portions of the FAFSA, you and your contributor(s) can head to studentaid.gov, log in using your StudentAid.gov accounts, and begin!

Have any questions about completing the FAFSA? Text #FAFSA to 33-55-77 to chat with one of our advisors. If you're using a mobile device, click here to have the text message set up for you!