FAFSA Prep Checklist

It typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete the FAFSA if you work together as a family and gather what you need ahead of time.

If you are a U.S. citizen living abroad, please review these important notes.

• Create an FSA ID

  To file the FAFSA, you (the student) need a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) – a username and password that gives you access to Federal Student Aid’s online systems and can serve as your legal signature. We recommend you complete this step about a week before you file the FAFSA.

  If you are considered a dependent for federal aid purposes, at least one parent also needs an FSA ID. To determine who needs to report information on the FAFSA, please review this guide.

  Parents should not create their student's FSA ID for them, nor should students create one for their parent(s). Parents and students should use unique email addresses and phone numbers to create their FSA IDs. Do not use the same email address or phone number as your parent for your FSA ID. View more FSA ID tips.

  To create an FSA ID, you will need the following information:

  • Your Social Security Number (if applicable)
  • Your own email address

  Create an FSA ID

• Gather your documents

  Depending on your circumstances, you might need the following information or documents:

  • Your parents’ SSNs if they have SSNs and you're a dependent student
  • Tax returns
  • Records of child support received
  • Current balances of cash, savings and checking accounts
  • Net worth of investments, businesses and farms

  If you're considered a dependent for federal aid purposes, you’ll need to report parent information on your FAFSA form. Learn more about reporting parent information, including who counts as your parent, what to do if you don’t live with your parents, and what to do if you don’t have access to your parents’ financial information.

  The 2025–2026 FAFSA (for the school year beginning with the fall 2025 semester) will collect 2023 financial information unless the question is specifically requesting current information.

  View more information about required documents

• Review tips from the experts

  The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) has put together a helpful list of FAFSA Tips & Common Mistakes to Avoid. We recommend your family review this webpage together before filing the FAFSA.

  View FAFSA tips

• Set aside time to file the FAFSA as a family

  Filing the FAFSA can be overwhelming, especially for the first time. Creating FSA IDs ahead of time, gathering documents now and setting aside some time to work together with your family will make the experience much less stressful.