Completing a FAFSA—every year—is critical to receiving financial aid from the government, your college, and other sources.

The earlier you get it in, the better. Some financial aid is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis and you don’t want to miss out!

The FAFSA can seem intimidating, but if you plan ahead and go step by step, you’ll be fine.

Start by watching this What is FAFSA? video from the Federal Student Aid office.

Key things to keep in mind as you prepare to complete your FAFSA:

• Look up your school’s deadline and make 100% sure you meet it! Put it in your calendar and set reminders. You can also look up your state’s deadline, but your college’s deadline may be earlier!
• Is it just you, or do other people need to get involved? “Contributors” might be your parent(s) or spouse—more on that in the next step.
• Set aside time to work on it—and schedule time with contributors, if you need to.

First, watch this Start your FAFSA video to preview the filing process.

As the video points out, you’ll need to create a FSA ID (a studentaid.gov account). If you’ve completed a FAFSA before, you’ll use the same login info.

You’ll also need to figure out who is considered a contributor on your FAFSA. Your contributor(s) will need to create their own FSA IDs. Watch Understand and prepare contributors to learn more. (You can also just start filling out your FAFSA—you’ll be asked questions that will help identify any contributors—but it saves a step if they’re already set up.)

Wondering whether you’re a dependent, or what to do in different family situations? The Dependency Status page has a lot of helpful info.

Note: contributors should input their social security number if they have one, but if they don’t have one, they can still register on studentaid.gov. 

Once you and any contributors have set up your FSA IDs, it’s time to get it done!

Studentaid.gov has a thorough walkthrough with relevant links; visit Filling out the FAFSA form.

You may need any or all of this information:

• contributors’ full names, social security numbers (if they have them), birth dates, and email
• income tax records from the previous filing year (i.e., if you’re filing your 2024-25 FAFSA, you’ll need your 2022 taxes)
• other income records
• bank account and asset statements
• a list of schools you’re interested in attending

Filling out your FAFSA takes time—power through and focus on the $$ you could get!

Tip: if you or a contributor need a hard copy, you can download the FAFSA in pdf format: type “studentaid.gov FAFSA pdf” into your browser and choose the filing year you want.

Generally, undocumented or DACA students aren’t eligible for federal financial aid.

However, you may be eligible for

• state aid
• other state benefits, like in-state tuition
• private scholarships

In some cases, these other sources of aid may want you to complete a FAFSA. Check in with your financial aid office about whether you should take that approach or an alternate one.

More things to know:

• FAFSA contributors do not have to disclose their immigration/citizenship status.
• Get more details about Eligiblity for non-US citizens on the Student Aid website.
• TheDream.US has scholarships for undocumented students attending partner schools in 20+ states.
• Visit the Higher Ed Immigration Portal for a map with comprehensive info for each state.
• Here are direct links to state resources for California, New York, and Virginia
• The organization Immigrants Rising maintains a database of scholarships that don’t ask about citizenship status

Students from mixed-status families have additional and specific information available to them when considering applying for financial aid.  

• NCAN (National College Attainment Network) has provided FAFSA guidance for Mixed-Status Families in light of recent events and the priorities outlined by the incoming administration.  
• The Higher Ed Immigration Portal also provides a FAFSA Resource Hub for Mixed-Status Families

For a quick overview of this stage, watch FSA’s video What happens after your FAFSA is processed?

Follow the walk-through How to review and correct your FAFSA form.

Here’s what to expect:

You can always track the status of your FAFSA by logging into your studentaid.gov account.

• You’ll be asked to review your FAFSA Submission Summary and make corrections if needed.
• Some applications are selected for verification, so be ready to provide documents if you’re asked for them.
• Although the US Department of Education manages FAFSA submissions and federal aid, they won’t directly offer you aid. You’ll hear about financial aid from your college(s).

To get help or more info:

• FAFSA.gov has a searchable help center and a chat assistant, Aiden.
• Watch more videos on the Federal Student Aid YouTube channel.

You got this!