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NAMASTE
No stress. We are here to make FAFSA completion easier.
FAFSA FORM | HOME & LOGIN
Let's start with the basics.
Below are visuals of studentaid.gov to familiarize yourself with what to look for and what will be required when completing the FAFSA.
PARENT | FAFSA FORM LANDING PAGE
FAFSA FORM LANDING PAGE
- This is the main FAFSA form landing page.
- On this page, students and parents are directed to "Start a New Form" or "Edit Existing Form."
- For the purpose of this presentation, the parent is beginning a new application on behalf of their child.
PARENT | LOGIN
LOGIN PAGE
- If the parent selects "Start a New Form" from the FAFSA landing page and is not logged in to StudentAid.gov, they are taken to the "Log In" page to enter their log-in credentials.
- To access the FAFSA form, all parents are required to have an FSA ID (account username and password). If the parent doesn't have an FSA ID, they can select "Create an Account."
STEP 01 | PARENT ROLES
To help prepare for the FAFSA, we have provided a preview of the FAFSA Form. Don’t wait until the last minute to apply!
PARENT | ROLES
STARTING THE FAFSA AS A PARENT
- After logging in, the parent selects the applicable role to fill out the FAFSA form: "Parent."
STEP 02 | PARENT'S STUDENT INFORMATION
PARENT | STUDENT INFORMATION
PROVIDING STUDENT INFORMATION
- The parent is asked to provide the student’s information.
- Since the student has not started a FAFSA form yet, they will receive an email notifying them that a FAFSA form was started on their behalf.
- The student can then enter the form to provide consent, sign the form, and make any needed corrections.
STEP 03 | PARENT ONBOARDING
The Parent Onboarding section provides a comprehensive guide to completing the FAFSA, including information on student and parent contributions, what to expect during the process, and follow-up steps after completing the FAFSA.
PARENT ONBOARDING | SECTION 01
WHAT IS THE FAFSA FORM?
- When parent start the 2024–25 FAFSA form for the first time, they are taken through the FAFSA onboarding process.
- The first onboarding page provides an overview of the FAFSA form and an accompanying video.
- WATCH STUDENTAID.GOV FAFSA OVERVIEW >
PARENT ONBOARDING | SECTION 02
CONTRIBUTORS TO THE FAFSA FORM
- The second FAFSA onboarding page provides information about the different roles that may be required to participate in the student’s FAFSA form and documents that may be needed to complete the form.
PARENT ONBOARDING | SECTION 03
WHAT TO EXPECT
- The third FAFSA onboarding page provides information about the types of questions the parent can expect to see and how they can get additional help with filling out the FAFSA form.
PARENT ONBOARDING | SECTION 04
AFTER SUBMITTING THE FAFSA FORM
- The last FAFSA onboarding page provides information about what to expect once the FAFSA form is completed and submitted.
- On this page, the parent can select "Start the FAFSA form" to begin.
STEP 04 | PARENT'S STUDENT IDENTITY
The Student Identity Information section includes the student's name, date of birth, etc. If either student or parent have completed the FAFSA form in the past or logged into the FAFSA form with your FSA ID, most of your personal information will pre-populate to save you time. Ensure you enter your personal information exactly as it appears on your Social Security card. (That’s right, no nicknames.)
PARENT | STUDENT IDENTITY INFORMATION
STUDENT IDENTITY INFORMATION
- After starting the FAFSA form, the parent sees the first page within the student section.
- The parent can verify that the student’s personal information is correct.
- To update any of the personal information, the student must access their Account Settings on StudentAid.gov.
PARENT | STUDENT PERMANENT MAILING ADDRESS
STUDENT PERMANENT MAILING ADDRESS
- For fields related to the student’s mobile phone number and mailing address, the parent can edit them directly on this page.
PARENT | STUDENT STATE OF LEGAL RESIDENCE
STUDENT STATE OF LEGAL RESIDENCE
- The parent is asked about the student’s state of legal residence.
- The parent selects the state from a dropdown box and provides the month and year when the student became a legal resident.
STEP 05 | PARENT'S STUDENT PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES
Tell us about your student's marital status, financial dependencies, plans for college, and any special circumstances that may affect aid eligibility.
PARENT | STUDENT PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES
STUDENT PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES
- This is the first page within the Student Personal Circumstances section.
- It provides an overview of the section.
PARENT | STUDENT MARITAL STATUS
STUDENT MARITAL STATUS
- The parent is asked about their student's marital status.
- For this example, the parent selects the "Single (Never Married)" option for this example.
PARENT | STUDENT COLLEGE OR CAREER SCHOOL PLANS
STUDENT COLLEGE OR CAREER SCHOOL PLANS
- The parent is asked about the student's college grade level for the 2024–25 school year and if the student will have their first bachelor’s degree.
- The parent selects that the student will be a "First Year (freshman)" and that they will not have their first bachelor’s degree.
PARENT | STUDENT PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES
STUDENT PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCE
- The parent is asked if any of the listed personal circumstances apply to the student.
- The parent selects the "None of these apply" option.
PARENT | STUDENT OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES
STUDENT OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES
- The parent is asked if the student was homeless or at risk of being homeless.
- The parent selects "No."
PARENT | STUDENT UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES
STUDENT UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES
- The parent is asked if unusual circumstances prevent the student from contacting their parent(s).
- The parent selects "No."
STEP 06 | PARENT'S STUDENT DEPENDENCY STATUS
The student is asked if they want the financial aid office to determine their eligibility for a Direct Unsubsidized Loan. This is an alternative option if the student's parents are reluctant to provide information and financial support.
PARENT | STUDENT DEPENDENCY STATUS
STUDENT DEPENDENCY STATUS
- Based on the answers provided by the parent, the student is considered a dependent student.
- The parent is asked if they want a financial aid administrator to determine the student’s eligibility for a Direct Unsubsidized Loan only.
- This is an option if they are unwilling to provide their information. The parent selects "No."
STEP 07 | PARENT IDENTITY
The Parent Identity Information section includes your name, date of birth, etc. If you either completed the FAFSA form in the past or logged into the FAFSA form with your FSA ID, most of your personal information will pre-populate to save you time. Ensure you enter your personal information exactly as it appears on your Social Security card.
PARENT | IDENTITY INFORMATION
PARENT IDENTITY INFORMATION
- This is the first page within the parent section.
- The parent can verify that their personal information is correct.
- To update any of the personal information, the parent must access their Account Settings on StudentAid.gov.
- For fields related to the parent’s mailing address, the parent can edit them directly on this page.
STEP 08 | PARENT PROVIDES CONSENT
The parent must consent to retrieve and disclose Federal Tax Information (FTI). Parent consent allows studentaid.gov to obtain tax return information from the IRS automatically. By providing consent, students will be considered for eligibility for federal student aid, which includes grants and loans.
PARENT | PROVIDES CONSENT
PARENT PROVIDING CONSENT FOR FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION (FTI)
- This page informs the parent about consent and their federal tax information.
- By providing consent, the parent’s federal tax information is transferred directly into the FAFSA form from the IRS to help complete the Parent Financials section.
- The parent selects "Approve" to provide consent and is taken to the next page.
STEP 09 | PARENT DEMOGRAPHICS
PARENT | DEMOGRAPHICS
PARENT DEMOGRAPHICS
- This is the first page within the Parent Demographics section.
- It provides an overview of the section.
PARENT | MARITAL STATUS
PARENT MARITAL STATUS
- The parent is asked about their current marital status.
- They select the Married (not separated) option of this example.
PARENT | STATE OF LEGAL RESIDENCE
PARENT STATE OF LEGAL RESIDENCE
- The parent is asked about their state of legal residence.
- The parent selects the state from a dropdown box and provides the month and year when they became a legal resident.
STEP 10 | PARENT FINANCIALS
The parent will need to answer information about themselves. Some of these questions will help determine how much federal aid your student may be eligible to receive for college.
PARENT | FINANCIALS
PARENT FINANCIAL SECTION
- This is the first page within the Parent Financials section. It provides an overview of the section.
PARENT | FEDERAL BENEFITS
PARENT FEDERAL BENEFITS RECEIVED
- This page asks the parent if they or anyone in their family has received federal benefits.
- The parent selects "None of these apply."
PARENT | FAMILY SIZE
PARENT FAMILY SIZE
- This page asks the parent if their family size has changed since filing their 2022 tax return.
- The parent selects the "No" option."
PARENT | NUMBER IN COLLEGE
PARENT NUMBER IN COLLEGE
- This page asks the parent how many people in the family will be in college between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025.
- The parent enters a response into the entry field.
PARENT | TAX RETURN
PARENT TAX RETURN INFORMATION
- The parent is asked questions about their 2022 tax return.
- They enter a response in each entry field.
PARENT | ASSETS
PARENT ASSETS
- The parent is asked about their assets.
- They enter a response in each entry field.
STEP 11 | PARENT REVIEW & SIGN
Parents should review the information entered. Incorrect information could prolong the FAFSA process.
PARENT | REVIEW PAGE
REVIEWING INFORMATION BEFORE SIGNING
- The review page displays the responses that the parent has provided in the previous student and parent sections of the student’s FAFSA form.
- The parent can view all their responses by selecting "Expand All" or expanding each section individually.
- To edit a response, they can select the question’s hyperlink to be taken to the corresponding page.
STEP 12 | PARENT SIGNATURE
Parents should carefully review the information entered before signing.
PARENT | SIGNATURE
CONFIRM AND SIGN
- On this page, the parent acknowledges the terms and conditions of the FAFSA form and signs their section.
- After agreeing and signing, the parent is able to submit their section of the FAFSA form.
- Since the student section is incomplete, the FAFSA form is not considered complete and can’t be processed yet.
STEP 13 | PARENT SECTION COMPLETE
At this point, the parent has completed their section of the FAFSA. The application is not complete until the student completes their section of the FAFSA Application.
DEPENDENT STUDENT | SECTION COMPLETE
THE PARENT SECTION IS COMPLETE
- Upon signing the parent section, the parent is presented with the parent section complete page.
- This page displays information for the parent about the next steps, including tracking the student’s FAFSA form.
- The parent is reminded that the student’s form is incomplete and can’t be processed until the student section is complete.
- Next, in this scenario, the parent selects “Provide Student Information Manually" and enters the student section.
STEP 14 | PARENT'S STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS
The parent will need to answer information about themselves and their student. Some of these questions will help determine how much federal aid the student may be eligible to receive for college.
PARENT | STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS INTRODUCTION
STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS
- This is the first view within the Student Demographics section.
- It provides an overview of the section.
PARENT | STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS INFORMATION
STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS INFORMATION
- The parent is asked about the student's gender identity and if they are transgender.
- The parent selects their response from the options for both questions.
PARENT | STUDENT RACE & ETHNICITY
STUDENT RACE & ETHNICITY
- The parent is asked if they are of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin.
- They are also asked about the student's race.
- The parent selects checkboxes to answer both questions.
PARENT | STUDENT CITIZENSHIP
STUDENT CITIZENSHIP
- The parent is asked about the student's citizenship status.
- The parent selects the "U.S. Citizen or National" option.
PARENT | PARENT EDUCATION STATUS
PARENT EDUCATION STATUS
- The parent is asked about their education status.
- In this example, the parent selects the “No” option.
PARENT | PARENT KILLED IN LINE OF DUTY
PARENT KILLED IN LINE OF DUTY
- The parent is asked if their student's parent or guardian was killed in the line of duty.
- The parent selects "No" option.
PARENT | STUDENT HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION STATUS
STUDENT HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION STATUS
- The parent is asked about what the student's high school completion status will be when they start the 2024–25 school year.
- The parent selects the "High School Diploma" option.
PARENT | STUDENT HIGH SCHOOL INFORMATION
STUDENT HIGH SCHOOL INFORMATION
- The parent is asked which high school the student did or will graduate from.
- The parent enters the student's high school’s state and city.
- After selecting "Search," they select the correct high school from the search results.
PARENT | CONFIRMS HIGH SCHOOL
CONFIRM STUDENT HIGH SCHOOL
- The parent is asked to confirm the high school information.
- By selecting "Edit," they will return will return to the high school information page.
- The parent verifies the student's high school information and selects "Continue" to proceed to the next section.
STEP 15 | PARENT'S STUDENT FINANCIALS
The FAFSA form assesses the student's ability to pay for college, including personal investments, real estate, and other assets, excluding financial aid and state/federal benefits.
PARENT | STUDENT FINANCIALS INTRODUCTION
STUDENT FINANCES
- This is the first page within the Student Financials section.
- It provides an overview of the section.
PARENT| STUDENT TAX FILING STATUS
STUDENT TAX FILING STATUS
- This page asks the parent about the student's tax filing status.
- The parent selects "Yes" to "Did or will the student file a 2022 IRS Form 1040 or 1040-NR?"
PARENT| STUDENT TAX RETURN INFORMATION
STUDENT TAX RETURN INFORMATION
- Since the student has not provided consent for their federal tax information to be transferred directly into the FAFSA form, the parent is asked to manually enter the student’s 2022 tax return information.
- The parent enters a response in each entry field.
PARENT | STUDENT ASSETS
STUDENT ASSETS
- The parent is asked about the student's assets.
- The parent enters a response in each entry field.
STEP 16 | PARENT STUDENT SELECT COLLEGES
In this section, the parent can search and select schools the student is considering to attend. Once the student has completed their FAFSA, the selected schools will automatically receive an electronic copy.
PARENT | SELECT COLLEGES
PARENT SELECTS COLLEGES
- This is the first page in the Select Colleges section, which is the final part of the FAFSA form’s student section to require information.
- It provides an overview of the section.
PARENT | COLLEGE SEARCH
SENDING THE FAFSA TO WHAT COLLEGES
- The parent is asked to search for the colleges and/or career schools they would like to receive their FAFSA information.
- The parent searches for a school by entering a state, city, and/or school name.
- After selecting "Search," they select the correct school from the search results.
- Parent can select to send their FAFSA information to a maximum of 20 schools.
PARENT | SELECTED COLLEGES
SELECTED COLLEGES
- The parent can view which colleges and/or career schools they have selected for the student.
- If the parent has not selected 20 schools, they have the option to search and select more schools, and for students in some states, they have the option to change the position of their selected schools.
- When the parent selects "Continue," they will have completed entering the required student information for the student section and can proceed to review and sign their form.
STEP 17 | PARENT'S STUDENT REVIEW PAGE
The parent should review the information entered. Incorrect information could prolong the FAFSA process.
PARENT | STUDENT REVIEW PAGE
REVIEWING INFORMATION BEFORE SIGNING
- The review page displays the responses that the parent has provided in the FAFSA form on behalf of the student.
- The parent can view all their responses by selecting "Expand All" or expanding each section individually.
- To edit a response, the parent can select the question’s hyperlink and will be taken to the corresponding page.
- The parent cannot provide a signature for the student.
STEP 18 | PARENT'S STUDENT SECTION COMPLETE
The parent should review the information entered. Incorrect information could prolong the FAFSA process.
PARENT | STUDENT SECTION COMPLETE
THE STUDENT SECTION IS COMPLETE
- The parent is presented the student section complete page.
- This page displays information for the parent about next steps, including tracking the student’s FAFSA form.
- Because the student’s consent and signature are missing, the student is currently ineligible for federal student aid, including grants and loans.
- The student must enter their form, provide consent and signature, and submit the student section for their FAFSA form to be processed.
FAFSA SUBMISSION SUMMARY
The student will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary and will review Eligibility Overview, FAFSA Form Answers, School Information, and Next Steps. It is important to review and update any information that may need correction.
LANDING PAGE
LANDING PAGE
- The student receives a FAFSA
Submission Summary for their processed FAFSA form and any subsequent corrections that they submit. - The FAFSA Submission Summary is broken into four tabs:
- Eligibility Overview
- FAFSA Form Answers
- School Information
- Next Steps
- At the top, the student will see
information about when their form was received and processed. - They also have the option to print their FAFSA Submission Summary to keep for their records.
ELIGIBILITY OVERVIEW
ELIGIBILITY OVERVIEW
- On the Eligibility Overview tab, the student sees information about what federal student aid they may be eligible for, such as a Federal Pell Grant and Federal Direct Loans.
- They are also able to view the Student Aid Index.
- Any amount of financial aid that is displayed on this tab are estimates and are not guaranteed.
- Final determination of the student’s financial aid eligibility is provided by their school’s financial aid office.
FAFSA FORM ASWERS
FAFSA FORM ANSWERS
- On the FAFSA Form Answers tab, the student sees the answers that they and, if applicable, their contributor(s) provided on their FAFSA form.
- If any of the provided answers are incorrect, the student can choose to start a correction.
SCHOOL INFORMATION
SCHOOL INFORMATION
- On the School Information tab, the student sees information about the college(s) and/or career school(s) that they selected to send their FAFSA information.
- The student can compare the graduation rate, retention rate, transfer rate, default rate, median debt upon completion, and the average annual cost of their selected schools.
NEXT STEPS
NEXT STEPS
- On the Next Steps tab, the student sees comments that pertain to their FAFSA form.
- Some comments may require the student to start a correction or send additional documentation to their school.
- Other comments may be informational and do not require any further action from the student.
MORE RESOURCES
MORE RESOURCES
- Lastly, along the right side of their FAFSA Submission Summary, the student can choose from additional resources, including visiting Aid Summary or College Scorecard.
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