10 steps to fill out the FAFSA

Last updated: 19 June 2019

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A step-by-step guide with pictures for filling out your federal student aid application.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is notoriously time-consuming — as if applying for financial aid for the first time isn’t scary enough. But once you get started, you might be surprised to find it isn’t as much of a hassle as you’d expected.

These days, you can generally complete your entire application online in about 30 minutes online. We take you through each section to help you answer FAFSA questions and point out any roadblocks to avoid.

Select your schools
Answer questions about your dependency status
Complete the section on parent demographics
Fill out information on your finances
Sign and submit your FAFSA

Step 1. Know your deadline.

FAFSA deadline for the 2019–2020 academic year: Saturday, June 30, 2020

Applications for the 2019-2020 academic year opened on October 1, 2018

Click on your school’s state below to learn about any specific due dates you need to keep in mind. Don’t know which school you’re going to yet? Look at the deadlines for all schools you’re considering attending.

FAFSA Deadline state map
FAFSA Deadline by state table

State	Deadline
Alabama	Check with your financial aid administrator.
Alaska	Alaska Performance Scholarship: For priority consideration, submit your application by June 30, 2019. Awards are made until funds are depleted. Alaska Education Grant: As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted.
Arizona	Check with your financial aid administrator.
Arkansas	Academic Challenge: June 1, 2019, by midnight CT Workforce Grant: Check with your financial aid administrator. Higher Education Opportunity Grant: June 1, 2019, by midnight CT
California	For many state financial aid programs: March 2, 2019 (date postmarked) Cal Grant also requires submission of a school-certified GPA by March 2, 2019. Applicants are encouraged to obtain proof of mailing their GPA and to retain a copy of their GPA form. For additional community college Cal Grants: Sept. 2, 2019 (date postmarked) If you’re a noncitizen without a Social Security card or had one issued through the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, you should fill out the California Dream Act Application found at caldreamact.org. You do not need to fill out a FAFSA form to be eligible for California student financial aid. Contact the California Student Aid Commission (csac.ca.gov) or your financial aid administrator for more information. Additional forms may be required. Applicants are encouraged to keep a record of their submission by printing out their online FAFSA confirmation page or obtaining proof of mailing the FAFSA form.
Colorado	Check with your financial aid administrator.
Connecticut	For priority consideration, submit your application by midnight CT, Feb. 15,2019. Additional forms may be required. Contact your financial aid administrator or your state agency.
Delaware	April 15, 2019, by midnight CT.
Washington, D.C	FAFSA applications are due by midnight CT on May 1, 2019, for priority consideration. If you’re applying for the TCTAG, submit your DC OneApp with documentation by Thursday, May 31, 2019.
Federal States of Micronesia	Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required.
Florida	May 15, 2019 (date processed).
Georgia	Check with your financial aid administrator.
Guam	Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required.
Hawaii	Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required.
Idaho	Opportunity Grant: For priority consideration, submit your application by midnight CT, March 1, 2019. Additional forms may be required. Contact your financial aid administrator or your state agency.
Illinois	As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted.
Indiana	Frank O’Bannon Grant: April 15, 2019, by midnight CT 21st Century Scholarship: April 15, 2019, by midnight CT Adult Student Grant: As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted. New applicants must submit additional forms at ScholarTrack.IN.gov. Workforce Ready Grant: As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2018.
Iowa	July 1, 2019, by midnight CT. Earlier priority deadlines may exist for certain programs. Additional forms may be required.
Kansas	For priority consideration, submit your application by midnight CT, April 1, 2019. Additional forms may be required. Contact your financial aid administrator or your state agency.
Kentucky	As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2018. Awards made until funds are depleted.
Louisiana	July 1, 2020 (July 1, 2019 recommended)
Maine	May 1, 2019, by midnight CT
Marshall Islands	Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required.
Maryland	March 1, 2019, by midnight CT.
Massachusetts	For priority consideration, submit your application by midnight CT, May 1, 2019.
Michigan	March 1, 2019, by midnight CT
Minnesota	You must submit your FAFSA application within 30 days after the term starts by midnight CT.
Mississippi	MTAG and MESG Grants: Sept. 15, 2019, by midnight CT. Additional forms may be required. HELP Scholarship: March 31, 2019, by midnight CT. Additional forms may be required.
Missouri	For priority consideration, submit your application by Feb. 1, 2019. Applications are accepted through April 1, 2019, at midnight CT.
Montana	Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required.
Northern Mariana Islands	For priority consideration, submit your application by midnight CT, April 30, 2019. Additional forms may be required.
Nebraska	Check with your financial aid administrator.
Nevada	Nevada Promise Scholarship: April 1, 2019. Additional forms may be required. Awards are made until funds are depleted. Silver State Opportunity Grant: As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted. All other aid: Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required.
New Hampshire	VCheck with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required.
New Jersey	2018–19 Tuition Aid Grant recipients: April 15, 2019, by midnight CT All other applicants Fall and spring terms: Sept. 15, 2019, by midnight CT Spring term only: Feb. 15, 2020, by midnight CT
New Mexico	Check with your financial aid administrator.
New York	June 30, 2020, by midnight CT. Additional forms may be required.
North Carolina	As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted.
North Dakota	As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted.
Ohio	Oct. 1, 2019, by midnight CT
Oklahoma	As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted.
Oregon	OSAC Private Scholarships: March 1, 2019. Additional forms may be required. Oregon Promise Grant: Contact your state agency. Additional forms may be required. Oregon Opportunity Grant: As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted.
Palau	Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required.
Pennsylania	All first-time applicants enrolled in a community college, business, trade, or technical school, hospital school of nursing, designated Pennsylvania Open Admission institution, or nontransferable two-year program: Aug. 1, 2019, by midnight CT All other applicants: May 1, 2019, by midnight CT. Additional forms may be required.
Puerto Rico	Check with your financial aid administrator.
Rhode Island	Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required.
South Carolina	Tuition Grants: June 30, 2019, by midnight CT SC Commission on Higher Education Need-based Grants: As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted.
South Dakota	Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required.
Tennessee	State Grant: Prior-year recipients receive award if eligible and apply by February 1, 2019. All other awards made to neediest applicants. Awards are made until funds are depleted. Tennessee Promise: Feb. 1, 2019 (date received) State Lottery: Fall term: Sept. 1, 2019 (date received) Spring and summer terms: Feb. 1, 2020 (date received)
Texas	As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2018. Texas public colleges: For priority consideration, submit your application by Jan. 15, 2019. Additional forms may be required. Texas private colleges: Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required.
US Virgin Islands	Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required.
Utah	Check with your financial aid administrator. Awards are made until funds are depleted. Additional forms may be required.
Vermont	As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted. Additional forms may be required.
Virginia	Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required.
Washington	As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted.
West Virginia	PROMISE Scholarship: March 1, 2019. New applicants must submit additional forms at cfwv.com. Contact your financial aid administrator or your state agency. WV Higher Education Grant Program: April 15, 2019
Wisconsin	Check with your financial aid administrator
Wyoming	Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required.

Knowing your application’s deadline is the first step toward making sure you compete and submit it on time.
While everyone must follow the federal or state colleges impose their own FAFSA deadlines as well.
Reach out to your school’s financial aid office to find out when it requires you to submit your application. Be sure to clarify whether that date is when you need to submit your application online, when your school receives it or when the office processes your application.

Step 2. Get your documents together.

The documents you’ll need compete your FAFSA depend on your citizenship and financial independence. Here’s what to have on hand when applying for federal aid for the 2019–2020 academic year.

Citizenship and financial status	Documents
US citizen, dependent	Your Social Security card or number. Your driver’s license, if you have one. You and your parents’ previous year’s federal income tax returns. You and your parents’ previous year’s W-2 forms. Bank statements for you and your parents. Records of you and your parents’ previous year’s untaxed income. Your parent’s investment records and other business records.
US citizen, independent	Your Social Security card. Your driver’s license, if you have one. Your previous year’s federal income tax return. Your previous year’s W-2 form. Statements from bank accounts in your name. Records of any untaxed income from previous year’s.
Not a US citizen, dependent	Your driver’s license, if you have one. You and your parents’ previous year’s federal income tax returns. Records of you and your parents’ untaxed income from previous year’s. You and your parents’ previous year’s W-2 forms. Statements from bank accounts in you and your parents’ names. Records of your parent’s current business records.
Not a US citizen, independent	Your driver’s license, if you have one. Your previous year’s federal income tax return. Records of any 2016 untaxed income. Your previous year’s W-2 form. Current statements from bank accounts in your name.

How do I know if I’m a dependent?

The FAFSA asks applicants a series of questions to help you determine whether you’re a dependent. Congress sets these criteria, which are different from those used by the IRS. Generally, dependency depends on factors like age, marital status and the type of degree you’re working on.

Step 3. Create an FSA ID.

You know how much time you’ve have to submit your forms, and you’ve gathered the necessary documents. Now, you’re ready to start your application.

Well, almost: You need to create a FSA ID before you can tackle the FAFSA questions.

1. Go to the Federal Student Aid website and click FAFSA: Applying for Aid.
2. Click on the green and white Create Your FSA ID Now button.
3. Enter your email address, a user name and a password. Click Next.
4. Follow the directions to enter your personal details before verifying and submitting your form.
If this is your first time completing your FAFSA, you’re good to go. It can take from one to three days for FSA to verify your information.
If you’ve filled out FAFSA in the past, log in to your account for the FSA to populate fields in your application automatically.
Parents of dependents must create an FSA ID to submit financial information about themselves. If they already created one for a sibling, they can keep use the same login details.
Make sure you and your parents are the only people using your passwords. According to the Department of Education, a common FAFSA misstep is when parents and students fill out the form using the wrong password.

Step 4. Start your application.

Once you’re ready to start answering the FAFSA questions, go back to the Federal Student Aid website to finally get started on your application. You’ll need the student’s FAS ID for this step.

1. Hover over FAFSA: Applying for Aid in the top navigation bar and click Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.
2. Log in to start the application. If you’re a student, select Enter your (the student’s) FSA ID; parents should select Enter the student’s information. Then click Next.
3. Select which type of FAFSA form you want to fill out:
  The 2020–2020 FAFSA form is for students who need financial aid between July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2020.
  The 2018–2019 FAFSA form is for students who want financial aid between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019.
  If you still haven’t completed your 2018–2019 FAFSA form, start with that one first, wait three days and then complete the 2019–2020 form.
4. Make a save key — an important temporary password that you and your parents can use to log in to your application. It also allows to log back in and pick up where you left off, if you need to take a break.

Step 5. Complete your demographic information.

The first FAFSA questions are about your name, date of birth and other basic identifying information. If you’ve already submitted a FAFSA, it automatically completes this section.

Step 6. Select your schools.

First-timers should select every school you’re considering attending — even if you haven’t gotten an acceptance letter or completed an application. This way, you’ll have your application in on time wherever you end up going. Other schools will simply ignore your FAFSA if you end up not attending.

Step 7. Answer questions about your dependency status.

If you’re independent, you can skip ahead to Step 9. Otherwise, move on to Step 8.

If you answer yes to any of the questions below, you’re considered an independent student for the purposes of the FAFSA.
- Will you be 24 or older by December 31st of the school year you need financial aid for?
- Will you be working on a master’s or doctoral degree?
- Are you married? Divorced? Separated?
- Are you providing at least half of support costs for any children or other dependents that live with you?
- Have your parents died since you turned 13?
- Have you been in foster care or a ward or dependent of the court since you turned 13?
- Are you an emancipated minor or in a court-appointed legal guardianship?
- Are you a homeless unaccompanied youth or at risk of becoming homeless?
- Are you currently serving in the US armed forces (excluding training)?
- Are you a veteran?

Step 8. Answer questions on parent demographics.

A parent or somebody who’s legally in charge of you must fill out this section — for example, your biological parents, stepparents or adoptive parents. If your parent passed away but your stepparent is alive, your stepparent is not considered your legal parent unless they’ve adopted you. Same goes for foster parents, legal guardians, older siblings, grandparents and other extended family.

Determining which parent to choose can also be tricky. If your parents are still married or live together, both parents must complete this section. If they live separately, ask the parent you’ve stayed with more in the past year (or gives you the most financial support, if you haven’t stayed with either). If that parent has remarried, your stepparent must also complete the parent information on your FAFSA.
Your parents will enter personal and financial details like their birthday, marital status, household size and tax information.

Step 9. Fill out information on your finances.

You and your parents need to upload information on your personal finances. But it’s not as complicated as you might think: FSA uses the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) that allows you to upload tax forms without having to get them yourself ahead of time. You’re eligible to use this tool if you’ve already submitted your taxes for the year (which is likely, given the new application dates).

To use the IRS DRT, select that you’ve already completed your taxes. If you’re eligible, you’ll see a Link to IRS button at the bottom of the page. Once you’ve completed the transfer, you should receive a message confirming that it was a success.
In all fields the IRS can answer, you’ll see Transferred from the IRS. But give your form an eye for blank fields, filling out any required information the IRS wasn’t able to answer for you.

Step 10. Sign and submit your FAFSA.

You’re done answering the questions on the FAFSA. Now it’s time to electronically sign it, along with any supporting documents by logging in with your FSA ID. If you’re a dependent, your parents will also need to sign your FAFSA form by logging in with their individual FSA ID.

Signing your FAFSA form online is the quickest and easiest way to submit your application for federal aid. However, you can submit a hard copy of the signature page by selecting Other options to sign and submit. Select Print a signature page, sign it and mail it in. This option can take longer for FSA to receive and process, so submit your hard copies well in advance of the deadline.

What happens after I submit my FAFSA?

What happens after your FAFSA depends on the type of federal aid you’re applying for. After you submit your application, FAFSA shares your information with the schools you listed on the application, your state’s higher education agency and higher education agencies in the states of schools that you applied for.

Three days after you submit your application, FSA sends you an SAR containing all of the data you submitted in your application, excluding any tax information provided by the IRS. Now is your chance to carefully check it for any mistakes. You can fix any mistakes you find by logging back in to your application and saving your changes.
The one exception: Entering the wrong Social Security number. In this case, you might need to compete new FAFSA application. Otherwise, reach out to your school’s financial aid office and ask them to change your Social Security number for you.
If you have two to three weeks, you can update your Social Security number on your SAR, sign it and mail it back to SAR. Note that you can only take advantage of this option once.

While you can’t change most information on your FAFSA, you’re responsible for keeping your application as current as possible — particularly when that information affects your dependency status (like getting married), the number of family members in your household and those who are currently in college.
If you experience significant changes in your finances, you might want to reach out to your financial aid office to discuss potential steps. For everything else, log in with your FSA ID, go to the My FAFSA page and click Make FAFSA Corrections.
You can update your FAFSA by reaching out to your school’s financial aid office (only one school, if you listed multiple institutions) and asking them to make the changes for you. Otherwise, you can write in corrections by hand on a paper SAR and mail it in.

After your school receives your information, it sends you a letter announcing you how much aid you’re eligible to receive for that period. When you receive your award letter depends on when you apply and how your school’s financial aid office works. Typically, you’ll get it anywhere between the winter before your courses begin to just before you start classes — sometimes after, if you’re applying for the spring semester as a first-time student.
Select which type of aid you want to accept, starting with the financing options that you don’t have to pay off — grants, scholarships and work-study. When it comes to accepting loans, look at federal student loans before state or local government loans. Consider saving private student loans for when you’ve run out of federal funding.

5 tips for saving time on the FAFSA

Create your FSA ID ahead of time. It only takes about 15 minutes on your end and you can do it at any time. But it can take three days for the Social Security administration to verify your identity, which pushes your application back three days.
Have your documents ready. Review our list of documents and have them at arm’s reach when you fill out the FAFSA so you don’t have to spend time trying to find your Social Security card.
Get help if you need it. Some free organizations like College Goal Sunday can help you fill out the FAFSA for free if you’re confused or otherwise stuck.
Let the IRS fill out the tax information. Using the IRS data retrieval tool can help you prevent mistakes on the FAFSA and also saves time on filling out the form.
Review your answers. Mistakes can delay the process or get your form selected for verification — which takes extra time. Double-check to make sure everything is spelled correctly before you move on.

Background information about the FAFSA

The FAFSA is a financial aid application that all students must submit to qualify for federal aid. This aid includes grants, student loans, work-study programs and any other help that comes from the government. Colleges typically use your FAFSA to calculate your financial aid package for the year.

Even if you don’t think you qualify for federal financial aid, you might want to complete your FAFSA anyhow. You could be eligible for something you didn’t expect, potentially lowering the cost of your education. For instance, nearly 60% of applicants who applied for federal aid in 2015–2016 qualified for a Pell Grant — a federal grant given to students based on financial need.

The US Department of Education Federal Student Aid recently updated its process to enable students to submit their applications as early as October 1st — about 10 months ahead of the school year. Previously, students had to wait until January 1st to submit their applications.
Earlier acceptance means you might be required to submit tax data from two years before the year you’ll need financial aid. For example, if you complete your 2019–2020 FAFSA on October 2, 2018, you’re typically required to provide tax information from 2017, rather than 2018 — as you might have a couple years ago.

FAFSA questions list

Search by number

Number	Question
Question 1	Your last name
Question 2	Your first name
Question 3	Your middle initial
Question 4	Your permanent mailing address
Question 5	Your city
Question 6	Your state
Question 7	Your ZIP code
Question 8	Your Social Security Number
Question 9	Your date of birth
Question 10	Your telephone number
Question 11	Your driver’s license number
Question 12	Your driver’s license state
Question 13	Your e-mail adress
Question 14	Are you a U.S. citizen
Question 15	Your Alien registration number
Question 16	What is your marital status?
Question 17	Month and year you were married, separated, divorced, or widowed
Question 18	What is your state of legal residence?
Question 19	Did you become a legal resident of your state before January 1, 2014?
Question 20	Month and year you became a legal resident
Question 21	Are you male or female?
Question 22	Do you want us to register you with the Selective Service System?
Question 23	Have you been convicted for the possession or sale of illegal drugs for an offense that occurred while you were receiving federal student aid (grants, work-study, and/or loans)?
Question 24 and 25	Highest school your parent completed
Question 26	What will your high school completion status be when you begin college in the 2019–2020 school year?
Question 27	Student’s High School Name, City, and State
Question 28	Will you have your first bachelor’s degree before you begin the 2019–2020 school year?
Question 29	What will your college grade level be when you begin the 2019–2020 school year?
Question 30	What degree or certificate will you be working on when you begin the 2019– 2020 school year?
Question 31	Are you interested in being considered for work- study?
Question 32	Have you completed a 2017 income tax return?
Question 33	What income tax return did you file or will you file for 2017?
Question 34	For 2017, what is or will be your tax filing status according to your tax return?
Question 35	Were you eligible to file a 1040A or 1040EZ?
Question 36	What was your adjusted gross income for 2017?
Question 37	What was your income tax for 2017?
Question 38	How many exemptions did you claim?
Question 39	How much did you earn from working in 2017?
Question 40	How much did your spouse earn from working in 2017?
Question 41	What is the total current balance of your cash, savings, and checking accounts?
Question 42	What is the net worth of your investments?
Question 43	What is the net worth of your current businesses and/or investment farms?
Question 44	a) What were your total education credits? b) How much total child support did you pay? c) What were your taxable earnings from need-based employment programs? d) How much taxable college grant or scholarship aid did you report to the IRS as income? e) How much combat pay or special combat pay did you report in your AGI? f) What were your earnings from work under a Cooperative Education Program offered by a college?
Question 45	a) What were your total tax-deferred pension payments? b) How much did you pay to your IRA or Keogh? c) How much total child support did you receive? d) What was your total tax-exempt interest income? e) What were your total untaxed portions of IRA distributions? f) What were your total untaxed portions of pensions? g) What were your total allowances received? h) What were your total veterans noneducation benefits? i) What was the total of your other untaxed income or benefits?j) What other money has been paid on your behalf?
Question 46	Were you born before January 1, 1996?
Question 47	Are you married?
Question 48	At the beginning of the 2019–2020 school year, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, or graduate certificate, etc.?)
Question 49	Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training?
Question 50	Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
Question 51	Do you now have or will you have children who will receive more than half of their support from you between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020?
Question 52	Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2020?
Question 53	At any time since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you a dependent or ward of the court?
Question 54	As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you an emancipated minor?
Question 55	Does someone other than your parent or stepparent have legal guardianship of you, as determined by a court in your state of legal residence?
Question 56	At any time on or after July 1, 2018, did your high school or school district homeless liaison determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?
Question 57	At any time on or after July 1, 2018, did the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?
Question 58	At any time on or after July 1, 2018, did the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?
Question 59	As of today, what is the marital status of your parents?
Question 60	Month and year your parents were married, separated, divorced, or widowed
Question 61 and 65	Parent’s Social Security Number
Question 62 and 66	Parent’s last name
Question 63 and 67	Parent’s first initial
Question 64 and 68	Parent’s date of birth
Question 69	Your parent’s e-mail address
Question 70	What is your parents’ state of legal residence?
Question 71	Did your parents become legal residents of their state before January 1, 2014?
Question 72	Month and year your parents became legal residents
Question 73	Your parents’ number of family members in 2019–2020 (household size)
Question 74	How many people in your parents’ household will be college students in 2019–2020?
Question 75 to 79	Parents Received Medicaid/Supplemental Security Income/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/Free or Reduced Price School Lunch/Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)/Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children?
Question 80	Have your parents completed a 2017 income tax return?
Question 81	What type of income tax return did your parents file or will they file for 2017?
Question 82	For 2017, what is or will be your parents’ tax filing status according to their tax return?
Question 83	Were your parents eligible to file a 1040A or 1040EZ?
Question 84	Is either of your parents a dislocated worker?
Question 85	What was your parents’ adjusted gross income for 2017?
Question 86	What was your parents’ total income tax for 2017?
Question 87	How many exemptions did your parents claim?
Question 88 and 89	How much did your parent earn from working in 2017?
Question 90	What is the total current balance of your parents’ cash, savings, and checking accounts?
Question 91	What is the net worth of your parents’ investments?
Question 92	What is the net worth of your parents’ current businesses and/or investment farms?
Question 93	a) What were your parents’ total education credits? b) How much total child support did your parents pay? c) What were your parents’ taxable earnings from need-based employment programs? d) How much taxable college grant or scholarship aid did your parents report to the IRS as Income? e) How much combat pay or special combat pay did your parents report in their AGI? f) What were your parents’ earnings from work under a Cooperative Education Program offered by a college?
Question 94	a) What were your parents’ total tax-deferred pension payments? b) How much did your parents pay to their IRA or Keogh? c) How much total child support did your parents receive? d) What was your parents’ total tax-exempt interest income? e) What were your parents’ total untaxed portions of IRA distributions? f) What were your parents’ total untaxed portions of pensions? g) What were your parents’ total allowances received? h) What were your parents’ total veterans noneducation benefits? i) What was the total of your parents’ other untaxed income or benefits?
Question 95	Your number of family members in 2019–2020 (household size
Question 96	How many people in your household will be in college in 2019–2020?
Question 97 to 101	Students Received Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Free or Reduced Price School Lunch, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Question 102	Are you or your spouse a dislocated worker?
Question 103a, 103c, 103e, 103g	Federal School Code
Question 103b, 103d, 103f, 103h	Housing Plans
Question 104	Date this form was completed
Question 105	Student and Parent signature
Question 106	Preparer’s Social Security Number
Question 107	Preparer’s Employer Identification Number
Question 108	Preparer’s Signature and Date

_{Source: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/sites/default/files/2019-20-completing-fafsa.pdf}

Need more funds to cover school? Compare private student loans

Bottom line

The FAFSA is not nearly as complicated as it was back in the day, when the process required snail mail. You can ensure a smooth application by readying your documents and having the information you need on hand to complete your form.

Because many states award aid first come, first served to students who qualify, submit your application as soon as you can.

Want to learn about how student loans work after you’ve filled out the FAFSA? Read our comprehensive guide to student loans to get the basics on federal and private lending, paying off your debt and refinancing for more favorable rates and terms.

Questions you might have about financial aid

Submit your application by filing for a dependency override. Overrides are designed for students that aren’t able to ask their parents to complete the form due to abuse, neglect, incarceration or other special circumstances.
To qualify for a dependency override, you’ll have to provide documentation proving you’re eligible. Proof can include police reports, incarceration records, letters from social workers or teachers and more.

Images sourced from https://ifap.ed.gov/

Anna Serio

Anna Serio is a staff writer untangling everything you need to know about personal loans, including student, car and business loans. She spent five years living in Beirut, where she was a news editor for The Daily Star and hung out with a lot of cats. She loves to eat, travel and save money.

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