Who is considered a “contributor” for the new FAFSA?
Anyone asked to provide information on the aid application—student, student’s spouse, student’s parent(s) and/or stepparent(s)—is called a “contributor” to the application. Contributors are required to provide consent and approval for federal tax information (FTI) along with their signature on the FAFSA form.
How do I determine which parent is a contributor for my FAFSA form?
The new FAFSA form will include an interactive worksheet (“parent wizard”) that helps the applicant to determine which parent(s) they should be planning to include on their application.
-If the parents are married and their tax filing status was "married filing jointly” for the reporting year, then only one parent needs to create an FSA ID and provide consent on the FAFSA. Providing consent allows both parents' tax information from their tax return to be retrieved from the IRS
-If the parents are married and their tax filing status was "married filing separately” for the reporting year, then they will both need to create an FSA ID and will both need to provide consent on the FAFSA, since their tax information is provided on separate tax returns.
-If the parents are separated or divorced, the Custodial Parent will need to create an FSA ID and provide consent on the FAFSA. If the Custodial Parent remarried, include the new spouse’s information when completing the FAFSA form.
Who is the “Custodial Parent” for the FAFSA?
For dependent students, the Custodial Parent will be the parent who provided the most financial support, instead of the parent with whom the student lived more during the past 12 months. If both parents provided an exact equal amount of financial support, then this will typically be the parent with greater income or assets. The Custodial Parent will need to create an FSA ID to provide their information for the student’s FAFSA.
What is the FSA ID?
An FSA ID is the Account Username and Password needed to file a FAFSA form and used to log in to all Federal Student Aid products and tools on StudentAid.gov. There will be two-step verification for the FAFSA and all contributors must have an FSA ID to log in to the online form.
How do I register for an FSA ID?
Students and other contributors register for an FSA ID through the Federal Student Aid website. Most continuing students will have created an FSA ID to file their FAFSA in previous years and will not need to register for another one.
Who needs an FSA ID?
Every contributor to an applicant’s FAFSA form will need to create an FSA ID in order to provide consent for data share with the IRS. Federal Student Aid (FSA) recommends all parents create an FSA ID.
A contributor to my form doesn’t have an SSN (Social Security Number), can I still file my FAFSA?
Yes, Federal Student Aid (FSA) has developed a new process that will be available for people without Social Security Numbers to create an FSA ID and access the online FAFSA.
If a contributor filed taxes with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) instead of an SSN for the reporting year, they will need to enter their ITIN on the FAFSA in order to consent to Direct Data Exchange.
Will other contributors be able to view my tax information on the FAFSA form?
The applicant and other contributors will each have their own section of the FAFSA form to complete. According to the Department of Education, much of the applicant’s tax return information, including information from their spouse and parents, will come directly from the IRS and will not be viewable by the student and other contributors.
What does “provisional independent” status mean?
The provisional independent status will allow the student to receive a provisional Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation while their independent status is being verified. Dependency is determined based on how a student answers the dependency questions on their aid application. In the past, if a student was not considered Independent, they could indicate they had unusual circumstances that prevent them from providing parental information; but the aid application would be rejected until a financial aid administrator verified the independent student status. Under FAFSA Simplification, dependent students with unusual circumstances—as well as foster, homeless, and unaccompanied youth—will be assigned a “provisional independent” status and receive an SAI while awaiting verification. The SAI will remain provisional and not official until the student’s college or career school makes a final determination.
What is the FAFSA Submission Summary?
The FAFSA Submission Summary replaces the Student Aid Report (SAR) as the student’s output document providing a summary of data input on the FAFSA form. After submitting the FAFSA form, you will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary. It is important to review the summary for accuracy and if necessary, make corrections or updates to the submitted FAFSA data.