Ready to File the 2024-2025 FAFSA?

Are You Dependent or Independent?

• Were you born before January 1, 2001?

• As of today, are you married? (Answer "No" if you are separated but not divorced)

• At the beginning of the 2024–25 school year, will you be working on a graduate program?

• Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training or are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?

• Do you have children or dependents who will receive more than half of their support from you between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025?

• At any time since you turned 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care, or were you a dependent or ward of the court?

• As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you an emancipated minor or in a legal guardianship?

• At any time on or after July 1, 2023, were you homeless or at risk of being homeless?

If you answer No to all of the questions: You are considered a Dependent student for the purposes of the FAFSA.

If you answer Yes to any of the questions: You are considered an Independent student for the purposes of the FAFSA.

See Federal Student Aid, Dependency Status for more information.

Who is Considered a Parent (Contributor) on the FAFSA?

• If your parent was never married and does not live with your other legal parent, or if your parent is widowed or not remarried, answer the questions about that parent.

• If your legal parents (biological, adoptive, or ad determined by the state) are not married to each other and live together, select "Unmarried and both parents living together" and provide information about both of them regardless of their gender. Do not include any person who is not married to your parent and who is not a legal or biological parent.

• If your parents are divorced or separated, answer the questions about the parent who provides the most financial support. If this parent is remarried as of today, answer the questions about that parent and your stepparent.

• If your widowed parent is remarried as of today, answer the questions about that parent and your stepparent.

See the YouTube Video: Who Is a Contributor on the 2024–25 FAFSA® Form?

What You Will Need

FSA ID (Federal Student Aid ID)

The FSA ID is a username and password that confirms your identity when signing the FAFSA.

Anyone who is a contributor on the FAFSA must have an FSA ID. An FSA ID can be created at any time. It can take up to a week before an FSA ID can be used to complete and electronically sign the FAFSA, so you will need to create this prior to completing your section of the FAFSA application.

For contributors who do not have a social security number, please review the instruction guide How to Get an FSAID for Individuals Without a Social Security Number [pdf] to create an FSA ID account.

Create an FSA ID Account

Cómo obtener un FSA ID para personas sin un Número de Seguro Social (SSN) [pdf]

Student Information (and spouse, if applicable)

• Federal Student Aid FSA ID login
• Social Security number, driver’s license number and date of birth
• Permanent Resident card, if not a U.S. Citizen
• What is your marital status? If you are married, your date of marriage; if separated or divorced, your date of separation or divorce.
• 2022 income information (W-2 forms, federal tax returns* (and spouse’s, if applicable)
• As of today, the balance of checking, savings and investment account(s)**
• Current net worth of business and/or investment farms
• Child support received for the most recently completed calendar year (January 1 – December 31)
• A list of the colleges/universities you want to send your FAFSA results to

Parent(s) Information

• Federal Student Aid FSA ID login
• Social Security number, driver’s license number and date of birth
• Permanent Resident card, if not a U.S. Citizen
• What is your marital status? If you are married, your date of marriage; if separated or divorced, your date of separation or divorce.
• 2022 income information (W-2 forms, federal tax returns * (and spouse’s, if applicable))
• As of today, the balance of checking, savings and investment account(s) **
• Current net worth of business and/or investment farms
• Child support received for the most recently completed calendar year (January 1 – December 31)

* The IRS Direct Data Exchange (DDX) makes entering tax information easier and will be required for students, spouses, and parents to transfer their 2022 tax information or non-filing status.

** Investments

Investments include:

• Real Estate (not the home you live in)
• Rental property
• Trust funds
• UGMA/UTMA accounts (student asset)
• Money market funds
• Mutual funds
• Certificates of deposit
• Stocks
• Stock options
• Bonds
• Other securities
• Installment and land sale contracts
• Commodities
• Qualified educational benefits or education savings accounts, including 529 college savings plans, Coverdell savings accounts and Educational IRAs. (List as parent asset if owned by the parent. Parents of dependent students should not report the value of educational savings accounts for other children. For a student who does not report parental information, the accounts owned by the student (and/or the student’s spouse) are reported as student investments.)

Investments do not include:

• The home you live in
• Life insurance values
• Retirement plans (401[k] plans, pension funds, annuities, noneducation IRAs, Keogh plans, etc.).