Whether you have completed a FAFSA in prior years or are filing for the first time, these terms will guide you along the way. Even if you have completed the FAFSA in the past, recent changes have introduced some new terms.
Anyone who is required to provide information and a signature on the FAFSA form, as well as consent and approval to access their tax information transferred from the IRS directly onto the form via direct exchange. A requited contributor must create a FSA ID and provide information on their student's FAFSA. This may include the student's biological or adoptive parent(s), the parent's spouse (step-parent), or the student's spouse.
A contributor isn't: A non-adoptive grandparent, foster parents, legal guardians, brothers or sisters, and aunts or uncles, even if they helped provide for or raise the student.
Contributors are required to provide their information, but participation does not indicate any financial responsibility.
Without the required contributor(s) submission, the student is ineligible for federal student aid.
Students will invite their contributor(s) to complete their FAFSA (after the student section is completed) and the contributor(s) will receive an email informing them that they've been identified as such. Contributors will need to log in using their own FSA ID to provide the required information on their student's FAFSA.
Students will answer a variety of questions within the FAFSA to determine their dependency status and contributor(s) required, but are also able to determine this beforehand.
Dependent Students
One parent contributor is required for dependent students unless:
- Parents are married and filed separate, head of household, and/or single
- Parents were recently married
- Parent(s) did not file taxes
- There may be other exemptions based on tax filing status
In the case of parental divorce or separation, the parent who provides the greater portion of the student's financial support will be the contributor and create an FSA ID. Please note: If that parent is re-married, the step-parent would also be included on the student's FAFSA.
Independent Students
- If the student is independent and not married, no contributor is required. Only the student will need an FSA ID.
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If the student is married and filed taxes jointly with their spouse, only the student will need an FSA ID.
- If the student is married and filed taxes separately or did not file taxes, the student's spouse will be a contributor and both the student and spouse will need an FSA ID.
If a student's parents are divorced or separated, the primary or custodial parent is the parent who provides the greater portion of the student's financial support. This parent's (and spouse's, if applicable) information is required on their student's FAFSA.
The FSA ID is a username and password which allows both students and their contributor(s) to log in and file the FAFSA each year and access other federal student aid-related sites, such as StudentAid.gov external website. It will also serve as the legal signature on federal student aid platforms and accept (student and/or parent) federal loans.
Each student and contributor require their own (separate) FSA ID. An FSA ID can be completed anytime, but at least 4 days prior to filing the FAFSA. A FAFSA cannot be completed with a student and contributor FSA ID.
Your FSA ID is yours for life - you cannot create a new one. Please save your FSA ID username and password along with the personal generated backup code the process will create, in a safe place.
Students filing for the first time: You do not need to wait for the 2024-25 FAFSA to open before you complete an FSA ID.
Please note: Students must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen to be eligible to apply for federal student aid. Beginning end of December 2023, contributors without a social security number can still obtain an FSA ID by answering additional identity questions.
FAFSA Privacy Act Consent is formal consent provided by student and contributor(s) to use personally-identifiable information (PII) provided on the FAFSA.
Consent will be provided to the IRS to match for FTI purposes and is required by student and contributor(s) in order to successfully submit a FAFSA. All parties whose Federal Tax Information (FTI) is included on a student’s FAFSA form must consent annually.
The consent will be required when a student submits a FAFSA, chooses Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) when starting loan repayment, or submits the Total and Permanent Disability discharge (TPD) within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for totally and permanently disabled students.
The consent is necessary not only for the U.S. Department of Education to request federal tax information from the IRS but also to use that FTI in the federal student aid application process (i.e., disclose that information to certain eligible entities, such as higher education institutions).
WIthout consent and approval from both a student and contributor (if applicable), the student will be ineligible for federal student aid.
The FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) is the student's output document providing a summary of data input on the FAFSA form. The student will receive their FSS once their FAFSA is fully submitted by both the student and contributor. For 2024-2025, the FSS summary will be send in March.
Students should review their FSS in order to determine any errors made on the FAFSA. If corrections are needed for the 2024-2025 FAFSA, students and their contributor(s) will not be able to log back into their FAFSA to make necessary changes until March.
The FSS replaces the previous Student Aid Report (SAR).
Family size refers to the number of family members and dependents in the applicant's household.
The family size will be reported on the FAFSA as the number of individuals reported as dependents on the applicant’s (if independent) or applicant’s parents’ (if dependent) U.S. tax return.
Formerly referred to as household size.
Federal Tax Information (FTI) is the data and information related to federal tax paying. FTI consent and approval is required by both the student and contributor(s) on the FAFSA. WIthout consent and approval, the student will be ineligible for federal student aid.
FTI includes a return or return information received directly from the IRS or obtained through an authorized secondary source such as the U.S. Department of Education pursuant to 26 U.S.C. 6103(l)(13). FTI also includes any information created by the recipient that is derived from a federal return or return information received from the IRS or obtained through an authorized secondary source. Other return information considered FTI includes the taxpayer's name; mailing address; identification numbers including Social Security number or employer identification number; any information extracted from a return, including names of dependents or the location of a business; information on whether a return was, is being, or will be examined or subject to other investigation or processing; information contained on transcripts of accounts; the fact that a return was filed or examined; investigation or collection history; or tax balance due information.
Financial need is calculated by each college or university and can vary from school to school, depending on Cost of Attendance and other financial assistance at that school:
Cost of Attendance (COA) - Student Aid Index (SAI) - Other Financial Assistance (OFA) = Financial Need
In order to determine need-based aid eligibility every year, students must file their FAFSA every year.
The FUTURE Act Direct Data Exchange (FA-DDX) will be used transfer an individual’s FTI to the Department. FA-DDX allows the Department to request, and the IRS to transfer, FTI to the Federal Tax Information Module (FTIM) system for use in determining a student’s federal financial aid eligibility.
The FTIM is a system that receives, stores, uses, and controls individual FTI received from the IRS for federal financial aid eligibility determination.
The FA-DDX is the system replacing the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT).
The Student Aid Index (SAI) external website is computed from a student's successfully completed FAFSA and is a formal evaluation of a student's approximate financial resources to contribute toward their postsecondary education for a specific award year.
The SAI is sent to all schools listed on the FAFSA and will be used to help determine federal, state, and institutional grant eligibility.
The SAI is replacing the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).