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We’ve made it to October! As you probably know, it is recommended that your high school seniors file the FAFSA sometime this fall. It is now open for families to complete! If you are looking for a streamlined communication explaining the “how to” of filing the FAFSA, please feel free to use this information below if it is helpful. You can copy and paste or edit as needed.
Six Items and 22 Minutes: All You Need to Fill Out the FAFSA
Filing the FAFSA isn’t as complicated or time-consuming as it seems – you only need about six documents and 22 minutes! So in the time it takes you to catch up on your Instagram feed, you can take the critical first step in getting the money you need to attend college!
Here’s a checklist of everything you and your parent need to fill out, sign and submit the FAFSA:
An FSA ID. Your FSA ID allows you to log in to your account, sign the FAFSA and make changes or add schools. You and your parent must create separate FSA IDs. Create this first!
You and your parent’s Social Security or Alien Registration number. Here’s what to do if your parent doesn’t have a Social Security number.
Driver’s license (if you have one)
Your and your parent’s federal income tax returns and W-2s from 2019 (you can use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to import this data!)
Bank statement
If applicable, other records of money earned, and records of investments and untaxed income
Don’t worry if you can’t find these materials right away: you can start the FAFSA and come back as many times as you need to update information or add schools. The important thing is to get started!
Want to know more? Use this worksheet to get a sneak preview of what the form looks like and the questions it asks, and check out the FAFSA YouTube channel for step-by-step instructions on creating an FSA ID and filling out the form. Our financial aid office can help you with any questions you have at any time in the process, so don’t hesitate to contact us.
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