YOUR FAFSA CHECKLIST

•  Your Social Security card and driver’s license, and/or alien registration card if you are not a US citizen.

•  Your 2022 federal income tax returns (you don't have to wait - you can use the most recent returns you have from last year), W-2s, and other records of money earned. (The IRS Data Retrieval Tool can help you transfer your federal tax return information right into your FAFSA form.)

•  Your parents' income tax returns, W-2 forms and 1040 forms if you are a dependent (and you are unless declared otherwise). If you or your parents have not completed your taxes yet, you can estimate your income and other tax return information, and then correct your application after you have filed your taxes.

•  Records and documentation of other nontaxable income received such as welfare benefits, Social Security income, veteran’s benefits, military or clergy allowances (if applicable).

• Any additional applicable financial information, such as taxable work-study, assistantships, fellowships, grants and scholarship aid reported to the IRS, combat pay or special combat pay and cooperative education program earnings.

• Records of any additional nontaxable income: Examples include: child support received, veterans’ non-education benefits, money received or paid on your behalf, etc.

• Current bank and brokerage account statements, including records of stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other investments (if applicable).

• Business or investment farm records (if applicable).

• Records relating to any unusual family financial circumstances. This can include anything that changed from last year or anything that separates your family from a "typical" family in terms of unusual marital situations, living situations, separations, etc.

  • Examples include: high non-reimbursed medical and/or dental expenses, unusually high dependent care costs (e.g., for a special needs child or an elderly parent), death, divorce, salary reductions, job loss and private K-12 tuition.

• Title IV Institution Codes for each school you are applying to. You can get this code from the school (some have them listed on their web sites) or you can use FinAid's Title IV School Code Database.

• When filling out and submitting your FAFSA electronically, you’ll need your FSA ID to sign the form. If you don’t have one, you can create a FSA ID online.

• If you are applying as a dependent - again, you are a dependent unless declared otherwise - one parent is required to sign as well. To electronically fill out your FAFSA online, your parent should also apply for a FAFSA ID at the same site.

• Download the Department of Education's 2022-23 FAFSA information sheet during your preparation process, to doubly ensure you have all of the information you need.

• Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. If you've already filed your federal income tax returns, it will pre-fill the answers to some of the more difficult FAFSA questions by transferring the necessary data directly from federal income tax returns.