FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is a form that is completed annually by current and prospective college students in the United States to determine their eligibility for student financial aid. It opens by Oct.1st each year.  Many grants (Pell Grant) require FAFSA to be completed. 

                                    https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa 

When applying for it, there is some information you will need ahead of time: 

• • An student FSA ID and parent FSA ID to sign electronically.

  • Your Social Security Number

  • Your Alien Registration Number (if you are not a U.S. citizen)

  • Your federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. (Note: You may be able to transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.) A 2026 grad needs 2024 tax returns. 

  • Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)

  • Records of untaxed income (if applicable)

2024-2025 Form Updates

• • Every contributor—anyone (student, the student's spouse, a biological or adoptive parent, or the parent's spouse) who's required to provide information on the FAFSA form—will need an FSA ID to access and complete their section of the online form.

  • All contributors must provide consent and approval to have their federal tax information transferred directly into the student's FAFSA form via direct data exchange with the IRS. If any contributor doesn't provide consent and approval, submission of the FAFSA form will still be allowed. However, a Student Aid Index, which replaces the Expected Family Contribution, will not be calculated and the student won't be eligible for federal student aid.

  • Students will be able to list up to 20 colleges on their online FAFSA form and 10 colleges on the FAFSA PDF.

  • Users can start or access the FAFSA form by visiting StudentAid.gov and logging in, where they'll see the link to the FAFSA form on their Dashboard.