Financial Aid - FAFSA FAQs

What is a StudentAid.gov account, previously called Federal Student Account Identification (FSA ID)? Who needs a StudentAid.gov account?

When creating a StudentAid.gov Account, students and contributors will use the username and password to access federal student aid websites. If you already created a Federal Student Aid Identification Account (FSA ID) previously, you are good to go! It will be just a change of name.

All students and contributors must create an account if they are:

• Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form
• Signing your Master Promissory Note (MPN)
• Applying for repayment plans
• Completing loan counseling
• Using the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Help Tool

How do I create an account?

To create an account, go to StudentAid.gov and click Get Started. You will need to provide:

• Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
• Full name
• Date of birth
• Email address
• Mobile phone number

You will also need to create a memorable username and password and complete challenge questions and answers to retrieve your account information if you forget it.

When should I create an account?

You can create an account at StudentAid.gov at any time, but creating it at least 72 hours (three days) before you start filling out the FAFSA form is recommended. Doing so will allow the Federal Student Aid system time to verify your account.

What if I need help creating an FSA ID?

This step-by-step guide to creating an ID can help with detailed information.

My parent or spouse has no Social Security Number (SSN). Would they still be a contributor to my FAFSA?

Yes, starting with the 2024-25 FAFSA, your parent or spouse will also be required to create a StudentAid.gov account and verify it. To create a StudentAid.gov account, they can choose the option to create it without an SSN and follow the instructions.

Please note that the practice of substituting zeroes for an SSN will be discontinued for online FAFSA submissions and will only be allowed for paper-based applications.

What is two-step verification, and why must I set it up for my StudentAid.gov account?

Two-step verification is a security feature that helps protect your StudentAid.gov account from fraud. When you enable two-step verification, you will be required to enter a code from your mobile phone in addition to your username and password when you log in to your account.

Does each contributor need a unique phone number or email for multi-factor authentication?

Yes. Each contributor must have a unique phone number or email for multi-factor authentication.

Do both parents need to create an account or just one like before?

It depends on the family's situation. For example, if a student has married parents filing taxes separately, both parents will need to create an account.

What is the impact if the student and parent already have an FSA ID? Do they need to create another StudentAid.Gov account?

None. Ensure the accounts are verified and ready to use when the FAFSA 2024-25 before completing the form.

Who are contributors for FAFSA 2024-25 purposes?

A contributor is anyone required to provide consent and approval for obtaining federal tax information needed to complete a student's FAFSA. If applicable, it may include:

• Student
• Student's spouse
• Parent, biological or adopted
• Parent's spouse (stepparent)

For more information: Who is my parent when I fill out the FAFSA form?

Who are not contributors?

The following are not contributors unless they have legally adopted you.

• Grandparents
• Foster parents
• Legal guardians
• Brothers or sisters
• Aunts or uncles

How are contributors determined?

The student's or parent's answers to specific questions on the FAFSA form will determine which contributors (if any) will be required to provide information.

What do contributors need to provide?

• Name
• Date of birth
• Social Security number
• Email address
• Personal and financial information

What steps do contributors need to follow?

1. Receive the email informing that they have been identified as a contributor.
2. Create a StudentAid.gov account if you don't already have one.
3. Log in to your account using your FSA ID account username and password.
4. Review information about completing your section of the FAFSA form.
5. Provide the required information on the student's FAFSA form.

What if I am a contributor and don't want to provide my information?

Being a contributor does not mean you have financial responsibility for the student. However, if a required contributor refuses to provide their information, it will result in an incomplete FAFSA form, and the student will become ineligible for federal student aid.

In cases where biological parents are not married, who should provide information on the FAFSA?

• The parent who provides the most financial support should complete it.
• If one parent pays child support, that parent should complete the FAFSA if the child support amounts to more than half of the student's support.
• If a dependent student's parents are unmarried and living together, both parents will need to complete the FAFSA as contributors.

If the parent who provides the most financial support is remarried, that parent and the stepparent's income should be on the FAFSA, even if they were not yet married on the requested tax year.

Why do I need to provide consent?

The Future Act requires all contributors on the FAFSA to provide consent to share their tax information with the IRS. This consent is necessary for the Department of Education to request federal tax information from the IRS and to use that information in the federal student aid application process.

What happens if I don't provide consent?

If you, as a student, student's spouse, or parent, don't provide consent on the FAFSA, you will not be eligible for Federal Student Aid.

What happens after someone provides consent, or Federal Tax Information (FTI) Approval, on the 2024-25 FAFSA?

Providing consent allows the Department of Education to use your name and social security number to match with the IRS so the IRS may share your tax information with the Department of Education to determine a student's eligibility for federal student aid.

Do I still need to provide consent if I had a low income and was not required to file taxes or even if I had zero wages?

Every contributor still needs to provide consent on the FAFSA so the IRS can confirm to Federal Student Aid (FSA) that you, your parent(s), or your parent's spouse didn't file taxes.

What happens if a contributor provides consent but doesn't sign the application?

Starting 2024-25, all parties must complete the FAFSA form online. If a signature is missing, the parent or the contributor who needs to complete their section and/or sign the application must obtain an FSA ID, log into the application, and complete their section.

Will students still be able to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT)?

No. Starting FAFSA 2024-25, the DRT will no longer exist. Federal Student Aid (FSA) will now directly transfer Federal Tax Information (FTI) from the IRS into the FAFSA form if you have provided FSA with the consent to do so.

Will non-custodial parents be contributors if they have not claimed the child on their taxes?

Yes. Starting with the Simplified FAFSA, students will determine which parent to report based on which provides the most financial support. The reported parents will provide consent to transfer their tax data even if they do not claim the student on their taxes.

If remarried parents provide more financial support to the child than a biological parent, does the stepparent have to provide their tax information?

Yes. The stepparent's tax information is required if the parent providing more financial support is remarried.

What if my parents or stepparents do not want to provide their tax information for my FAFSA?

We cannot provide tax advice, but our Federal Aid team can offer to talk directly with the parent or stepparent to explain why the Department of Education requires their information.

Can my parent or I self-report our income on FAFSA?

Yes, but you still need to provide consent. However, we recommend that you choose to have your IRS tax data transferred into your FAFSA. If your tax, income, or household situation has changed from the required tax year, please contact our office to request a petition.

What if I had a low income and was not required to file taxes?

Students whose parents were not required to file a federal income tax return will automatically receive an SAI of -1500.

Why are assets different on the FAFSA 2024-25?

Starting with the 2024–25 award year, some financial information previously considered income or excluded from asset reporting will now be required as assets for the FAFSA. These include:

• Annual amount of child support received.
• The net worth of all businesses, regardless of the size or number of employees.
• The net worth of a farm, including the value of a family farm (family primary residence is still excluded). Included items will be the fair market value of land, buildings, livestock, unharvested crops, and machinery actively used in investment farms or agricultural or commercial activities, minus any debts help against those assets.
• Education savings accounts will only be counted as parental assets for dependent students if the account is designated for the student.

What is the SAI?

The SAI is a measure of a student's financial aid need. It is calculated using information the student (and contributors, if required) provides on the FAFSA form.

What is the difference between the SAI and EFC?

The SAI is replacing the EFC starting in the 2024–25 award year. The main difference is that the SAI does not consider the number of family members in college.

How is Pell Grant eligibility determined based on SAI?

Students may qualify for a maximum Pell Grant based on family size, adjusted gross income (AGI), poverty guidelines, and tax filing status. Students with a negative or 0 SAI are eligible for the maximum Pell Grant.

What is the parallel between the 2024-25 Negative SAI and the Pell Grant?

• Students with a negative SAI are eligible for the maximum Pell Grant.
• Non-tax filers receive automatic -1500 SAI. The maximum EFC was 0 (zero).
• AGI, household size, and federal poverty guidelines determine Pell Grant eligibility.

How will the Pell Grant be awarded?

The Pell Grant will no longer be awarded per enrollment category but per the specific number of credits, called enrollment intensity, as shown in the table below.

What are unusual circumstances?

Unusual circumstances are when a student is unable to contact a parent or where contact with the parent poses a risk to the student. Examples include human trafficking, legally granted refugee or asylum status, parental abandonment or estrangement, and student or parental incarceration.

How can I be considered an independent student?

To be considered an independent student, you must meet one of the following criteria and provide documentation:

• Born before January 1, 2001
• Married (and not separated)
• A graduate or professional student
• A veteran
• A member of the armed forces
• An orphan
• A ward of the court
• Someone with legal dependents other than a spouse
• An emancipated minor
• Someone who is unaccompanied and homeless or self-supporting and at risk of being homeless

What other types of professional judgment appeals can students and families request?

Other types of professional judgment appeals include:

• Appeals for changes in income or expenses
• Appeals for changes in dependency status
• Appeals for changes in the cost of attendance
• Appeals for changes in awards