Fillable Form Free Application for Federal Student Aid

What is the FAFSA Form?

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a crucial form for students seeking financial assistance for college or career school in the United States. Managed by the U.S. Department of Education, the FAFSA form collects financial information from students and their families to determine their eligibility for federal student aid. This aid can come in various forms, including grants, work-study opportunities, and loans. Completing the FAFSA is often the first step in securing financial aid, and it is a requirement for most federal and state financial aid programs, as well as many institutional aid programs offered by colleges and universities.

Through California DREAM Act application, children who were brought into the US under the age of 16 without proper visas/immigration documentation who have attended school on a regular basis and otherwise meet in-state tuition and GPA requirements may apply for student financial aid benefits, including the FAFSA.

How do I fill out the FAFSA Form?

A fillable template for a FAFSA form can be found here. While it is generally recommended to file the FAFSA form online, you may print out a paper FAFSA form and submit it by mail as well.

Step One - Student

Enter the following information and answer the following questions for the student filing this application.

1. Last Name
2. First Name
3. Middle Initial
4. Permanent Mailing Address
5. City (And country if not in the USA)
6. State
7. ZIP Code
8. Social Security Number
9. Date of Birth
10. Telephone Number
11. Driver’s License Number
12. Driver’s License State
13. Email Address
14. US Citizenship
    1. Yes (Skip to Item 16)
    2. No - eligible noncitizen (Proceed to Item 15)
    3. No - not a citizen or eligible noncitizen (Skip to Item 16)
15. Alien Registration Number
16. Marital Status
    1. Single
    2. Married/Remarried
    3. Separated
    4. Divorced or Widowed
17. Month and Year married, remarried, separated, divorced, or widowed (if applicable)
18. State of Legal Residence
19. Legal Resident before January 1, 2018?
    1. Yes (Skip to Item 21)
    2. No (Proceed to Item 20)
20. Month and Year you became a legal resident of that state
21. Highest School Completed by Parent 1
22. Highest School Completed by Parent 2
23. High School Completion Status when beginning college in SY2023-2024
    1. High School Diploma (Proceed to Item 24)
    2. GED Certificate (Skip to Item 25)
    3. Homeschooled (Skip to Item 25)
    4. None of the Above (Skip to Item 25)
24. Name, City, and State of the High School where diploma was or will be received.
25. First Bachelor’s Degree before you begin SY2023-2024?
26. College Grade Level when beginning SY2023-2024
27. College Degree or Certificate being worked on when SY2023-2024 begins
28. Interest in Work-Study consideration

Step Two - Student

Enter the following information and answer the following questions for the student filing this form.

29. Has the student completed their IRS income tax return or another tax return listed in question 30?
    1. Already completed return
    2. Will file but not yet completed return
    3. Not going to file (Skip to Item 35)
30. What income tax return was or will be filed for 2021?
    1. IRS Form 1040
    2. Foreign tax return or IRS Form 1040-NR
    3. Tax return with Puerto Rico, another US territory, or Freely Associated State
31. Filing status in 2021 according to tax return
    1. Single
    2. Head of Household
    3. Married - filed joint return
    4. Married - filed separate return
    5. Qualifying widow(er)
    6. Don’t know
32. Did (or will) the student file a Schedule 1 return?

For the following questions, if the answer is zero or the question does not apply, enter 0. Report only whole dollar amounts, with no cents.

33. Own and Spouse’s adjusted gross income for 2021
34. Own and Spouse’s income tax for 2021. If the amount is negative, enter 0.
35. How much was earned from working in 2021?
36. How much did Spouse earn from working in 2021?
37. Present total balance of own and spouse’s cash, savings, and checking accounts (not including student financial aid)
38. Present net worth of own and spouse’s investments, including real estate (not including current residence)
39. Present net worth of own and spouse’s businesses and/or investment farms (not including family farm or business with 100 or fewer full-time or equivalent employees)
40. Student’s 2021 Additional Financial Information
    1. Education Credits
    2. Child support paid (not including for children currently in own household)
    3. Taxable earnings from need-based employment programs
    4. Taxable college grant and scholarship aid reported to the IRS as income
    5. Combat pay or special combat pay.
    6. Earnings from work under a cooperative education program offered by a college
41. Student’s 2021 Untaxed Income
    1. Payments to tax-deferred pension and retirement saving plans
    2. IRA deductions and payments to self-employed SEP, SIMPLE, Keogh and other qualified plans’
    3. Child support received for any of own children, not including foster care or adoption payments
    4. Tax exempt interest income
    5. Untaxed portions of IRA distributions and pensions
    6. Housing, food, and other living allowances paid to members of the military, clergy and others, not including the value of on-base military housing or the value of basic military allowance for housing
    7. Veterans noneducation benefits
    8. Other untaxed income not reported in items 41a through 41g.
    9. Money received or paid on your behalf not reported anywhere on this form

Step Three - Student

Answer “Yes” or “No” to each of the following questions for the student. If you answer “Yes” to any question in this step, skip Step Four and proceed immediately to Step Five.

42. Were you born before January 1, 2000?
43. As of today, are you married?
44. At the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, will you be working on a Master’s or Doctorate program?
45. Are you currently serving on active duty in the US Armed Forces for purposes other than training?
46. Are you a veteran of the US Armed Forces?
47. Do you now have or will you have children who will receive more than half their support from you between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024?
48. Do you have dependents who live with you and who receive more than half their support from you, now and through June 30, 2024?
49. 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?
50. As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you an emancipated minor?
51. Does someone other than your parent or stepparent have legal guardianship of you, as determined by a court in your state of legal residence?
52. At any time on or after July 1, 2022, 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?
53. At any time on or after July 1, 2022, did the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the US 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?
54. At any time on or after July 1, 2022, did the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?

Step Four - Parent

Answer the following questions and provide the requested details about the parent or guardian of the student filling this form.

55. Marital status of parents
    1. Never married
    2. Married or remarried
    3. Divorced or Separated
    4. Unmarried and both legal parents living together
    5. Widowed
56. Month and year they were married, remarried, separated, divorced, or widowed
57. Social Security Number (Parent 1)
58. Last Name (Parent 1)
59. First Initial (Parent 1)
60. Date of Birth (Parent 1)
61. Social Security Number (Parent 2)
62. Last Name (Parent 2)
63. First Initial (Parent 2)
64. Date of Birth (Parent 2)
65. Parents’ email address
66. Parents’ state of legal residence
67. Legal residents before January 1, 2018?
    1. Yes (Skip to Item 69)
    2. No (Proceed to Item 68)
68. Month and year legal residency began for the parent who has lived in the state the longest
69. How many people are in your parents’ household?
70. How many people in your parents’ household (from Item 69) will be college students between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024?

Mark all that apply from items 71-75 to indicate which you have received benefits from at any time during 2021 or 2022.

71. Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
72. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
73. Free or Reduced Price School Lunch
74. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
75. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

For items 76-89, contact the provided telephone number for help if the answer for item 55 was “Unmarried and both legal parents living together”. For items 81-99, if the answer is zero or the question does not apply, enter 0. Report only whole dollar amounts, with no cents.

76. Have your parents completed their IRS income tax return or another tax return listed in question 77?
    1. Already completed return
    2. Will file but not yet completed return
    3. Not going to file (Skip to Item 35)
77. What income tax return was or will be filed for 2021?
    1. IRS Form 1040
    2. Foreign tax return or IRS Form 1040-NR
    3. Tax return with Puerto Rico, another US territory, or Freely Associated State
78. Filing status in 2021 according to tax return
    1. Single
    2. Head of Household
    3. Married - filed joint return
    4. Married - filed separate return
    5. Qualifying widow(er)
    6. Don’t know
79. Did (or will) your parents file a Schedule 1 return?
80. As of today, is either of your parents a dislocated worker?
81. Parents’ adjusted gross income for 2021
82. Parents’ income tax for 2021. If the amount is negative, enter a zero.
83. How much did Parent 1 earn from working in 2021?
84. How much did Parent 2 earn from working in 2021?
85. Present total balance of cash, savings, and checking accounts of parents, not including student financial aid
86. Present net worth of parents’ investments, including real estate but not including their current residence
87. Present net worth of parents’ current businesses and/or investment farms, not including any family farm or family business with 100 or full-time or equivalent employees.
88. Parent’s 2021 Additional Financial Information
    1. Education Credits
    2. Child support paid (not including for children currently in own household)
    3. Taxable earnings from need-based employment programs
    4. Taxable college grant and scholarship aid reported to the IRS as income
    5. Combat pay or special combat pay.
    6. Earnings from work under a cooperative education program offered by a college
89. Parent’s 2021 Untaxed Income
    1. Payments to tax-deferred pension and retirement saving plans
    2. IRA deductions and payments to self-employed SEP, SIMPLE, Keogh and other qualified plans’
    3. Child support received for any of own children, not including foster care or adoption payments
    4. Tax exempt interest income
    5. Untaxed portions of IRA distributions and pensions
    6. Housing, food, and other living allowances paid to members of the military, clergy and others, not including the value of on-base military housing or the value of basic military allowance for housing
    7. Veterans noneducation benefits
    8. Other untaxed income not reported in items 89a through 89g.

Step Five - Student

Answer the following questions for the student.

90. How many people are in your household?
91. How many people in your household (from Item 90) will be college students between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024?

Mark all that apply from items 92-96 to indicate which you have received benefits from at any time during 2021 or 2022.

92. Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
93. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
94. Free or Reduced Price School Lunch
95. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
96. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
97. As of today, are you or your spouse a dislocated worker?

Step Six - Student

For each college you wish to have your FAFSA information sent to, enter the following details

98. College details
    1. Federal School Code
    2. Name of College
    3. Address and City
    4. State
    5. Housing Plans
       1. On campus
       2. With parent
       3. Off campus

Step Seven - Student and Parent

Have the student, their parent or guardian, and whoever is preparing this form (if a fee was paid to have someone prepare the FAFSA form) sign the form in the spaces provided for each of them.

For the preparer, enter the following information:

• Preparer’s Name, Firm, and Address
• Preparer’s Social Security Number
• Employer ID Number

Finally, enter the date that the form was signed.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When should the FAFSA be completed?

The FAFSA opens on October 1st each year for the following academic year. It's best to complete it as soon as possible since some aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Can I fill out the FAFSA if my parents are undocumented?

Yes, you can still fill out the FAFSA. You’ll need to enter zeros for your parents’ Social Security numbers and may need to submit additional documentation.

What is the Expected Family Contribution (EFC)?

The EFC is a measure of your family’s financial strength and is used to determine your eligibility for federal student aid. It is calculated based on the financial information provided on the FAFSA.

How is the EFC used?

Colleges use the EFC to determine your financial need and to create your financial aid package. The lower your EFC, the more financial aid you may be eligible to receive.

Can I update my FAFSA after submitting it?

Yes, you can update or correct your FAFSA after submission. You can log in to your FAFSA account and make corrections online. Make sure to keep your FSA ID on hand to ensure that you can easily access and view your scholarships and pending applications.

What happens if I miss the FAFSA deadline?

Missing the FAFSA deadline may result in losing eligibility for some types of financial aid. It's important to check both federal and state deadlines, as well as deadlines set by individual schools.

Do I need to complete the FAFSA every year?

Yes, you must complete the FAFSA each year you plan to attend college and seek financial aid. Financial situations can change, and so can your eligibility for aid.

What are the different types of federal student aid?

Federal student aid includes grants, work-study opportunities, and loans. Grants are need-based and do not need to be repaid, while loans must be repaid with interest.

What is a Pell Grant?

A Pell Grant is a type of federal grant awarded to undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional financial need. Unlike loans, Pell Grants do not need to be repaid.

How can I check the status of my FAFSA?

You can check your FAFSA status online by logging in to your FAFSA account. The status will indicate if your application is processed, incomplete, or needs further action.

What is the Federal Work-Study Program?

The Federal Work-Study Program provides part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need. Earnings from these jobs help students pay for education expenses.

What is the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans?

Subsidized loans do not accrue interest while you are in school at least half-time, during the grace period, and during deferment periods. Unsubsidized loans begin accruing interest as soon as they are disbursed.

What are PLUS loans?

PLUS loans are federal loans available to graduate or professional students and parents of dependent undergraduate students. They help pay for education expenses not covered by other financial aid.

Can international students fill out the FAFSA?

Generally, international students are not eligible for federal student aid and thus do not need to complete the FAFSA. However, some schools may require it for institutional aid purposes.

How do I know if I’m a dependent or independent student?

The FAFSA uses specific criteria to determine dependency status, including age, marital status, military service, and other factors. Dependent students must include their parents’ financial information.

What if my family’s financial situation changes after I submit the FAFSA?

If there are significant changes in your family’s financial situation, you should contact your school’s financial aid office. They can help you understand your options and potentially adjust your aid package.

Can I list multiple colleges on my FAFSA?

Yes, you can list up to 10 colleges on your FAFSA. Each school will receive your FAFSA information and use it to determine your financial aid eligibility.

What is the IRS Data Retrieval Tool?

The IRS Data Retrieval Tool allows you to transfer your federal tax return information directly into your FAFSA. This can simplify the application process and reduce errors.

Is there a fee to submit the FAFSA?

No, submitting the FAFSA is free. Be wary of websites or services that charge a fee for completing the FAFSA on your behalf.