If you’re new to completing the FAFSA, here are 10 facts you need to know about it!

Completing the FAFSA may make you eligible to receive different types of financial aid

• You have more college options. By completing the FAFSA, you increase your chances of receiving federal, state, and institutional aid that can make attending a certain college more affordable and within reach.
• You have more financial aid options. A large majority of federal, institutional, and state aid (including scholarships, loans, and grants) is awarded to students only if they’ve completed the FAFSA. This means more aid options are potentially available to you.
• You have more potential job options. When completing the FAFSA, you can be considered for work-study, a federal aid program that allows eligible students to work part-time, on-campus jobs to earn money to help pay for school expenses.

You and your contributors must set up a StudentAid.gov account (FSA ID) before completing the FAFSA

You and your contributors (parents or spouses) are required to create StudentAid.gov accounts (formerly known as FSA IDs) to access, complete, and submit the FAFSA. You will not be able to access the FAFSA without it. If you're creating a StudentAid.gov account for the first time, it's important to know that it can take up to 3 days to be authenticated. We recommend making your StudentAid.gov account a few days in advance of completing the FAFSA so that when you're ready to sit down and fill out the form, it's already authenticated. This will save you the time and hassle of having to enter all of your personal information onto the form manually. 

You will use financial information from two years ago

For example, students who completed the 2024-2025 FAFSA used a completed 2022 income tax filing. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, you will use a completed 2023 income tax filing.

The 2025-2026 FAFSA is open and will close on June 30, 2026

While the federal deadline for the FAFSA is June 30, some states and colleges will have their own deadlines. Check in with your state and college(s) to learn their FAFSA deadlines and ensure you're submitting on time. 

You will probably need to provide parent information on the FAFSA

A majority of students will need to add parents/legal guardians as contributors to their FAFSA, even if they have a job and file their own taxes. Check out FSA's guide on who is considered an independent student on the 2025-2026 FAFSA to learn more. If you're having trouble accessing your parents' income information, speak to your school counselor or connect with your college’s financial aid office to learn your options. 

If you’re a dependent student living with one or more undocumented parents, you can still complete the FAFSA with your Social Security number. Parent(s) without an SSN can still make a StudentAid.gov account and contribute to a student’s FAFSA by using FSA's manual identity verification process.

It’s important to understand that at this time, personal data submitted through the FAFSA–including a contributor’s citizenship status–may or MAY NOT be protected by the U.S. Department of Education. While contributing to a student’s FAFSA as an undocumented parent generally should not affect their eligibility to receive federal financial aid, other potential risks that undocumented contributors may face are currently unknown. Before completing the FAFSA, we advise you to talk to your family to make an informed decision that works best for you.

You must use accurate financial information when completing your FAFSA

The FAFSA allows contributors’ tax information to be pulled directly from the IRS, allowing for the most accurate reporting. Contributors must consent for IRS data information to be pulled to qualify for aid. Submitting inaccurate financial information may cause your FAFSA to be selected for verification or rejected.

Some states require you to list colleges in a certain order on the FAFSA

To be considered for state-based aid, some states may require your colleges to be listed in a specified order on your FAFSA. Check out FSA's guide for listing colleges on your FAFSA to learn what your state's rule is. 

If your state doesn't have a specific rule, we recommend either listing your top school first or listing them all in alphabetical order.

Colleges will use multiple methods to follow up on your FAFSA

To make sure you're receiving crucial information relating to your FAFSA submission, check your physical mailbox and email regularly. Be sure to tell your contributors to do the same, since they will need their own email for any official correspondence from FSA.

Most states offer free FAFSA help

Check out our list of FAFSA help by state to learn what free resources and supports are available to you. 

If you have questions or need help with your FAFSA, support is out there!

In addition to the resources we shared above, there are other ways to receive help on your 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!