Tips for parents filing the FAFSA
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Simply put, parents should always file a FAFSA, because they never know what aid their child could qualify for — or end up needing. “As a parent, you can fill out and submit the full FAFSA on your child’s behalf. There shouldn’t be any steps that a parent couldn’t complete,” Muzzy said.
A parent can get in by entering your (the student's) identifiers on the “Login” screen and never needs to use your account username and password. When everyone is finished with their parts of the FAFSA® form, be sure to select “Submit My FAFSA® Now” at the bottom of the “Signature Status” page.
For more information or to create your own FSA ID, go to StudentAid.gov/fsaid. If your parent does not have a Social Security Number, he or she will not be able to get an FSA ID. In that case your parent will print, sign, and mail in a paper signature page.
You can check the application status online or by phone at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). If you submitted a paper FAFSA form, you can check the status after it has been processed (seven to ten days from date mailed). After your child's application is processed, he or she will receive the Student Aid Report (SAR).
You can get your account back by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243. If you cannot verify by phone, you may need to go through a manual verification process by mail. In this option, you'll have to send physical documentation, which may take a week or more.
You will need an FSA ID and one of your parents will need a separate FSA ID. Your FSA ID is linked to your Social Security number and is your unique identifier. It serves as your legal digital signature and should only be used by you. Note: Your FSA ID is your account username and password.
The answer, actually, is not really one or the other. Rather, both the parent and the student need to complete information on the FAFSA.
To check the status of your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form, do the following: Log in to fafsa.gov. Your FAFSA status can be found on the “My FAFSA” page, which displays immediately after you log in if you've already started or completed a FAFSA form.
Three to five days if you completed your forms online and provided an email address. Seven to 10 days if you submitted your forms online but didn't provide an email address. Three weeks if you file a paper FAFSA.
If you submitted your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form online, then the U.S. Department of Education (ED) will process your application within three to five days. If you submitted a paper FAFSA® form, your application will be processed within seven to ten days.
The FSA ID is an electronic signature used to sign the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and federal education loan promissory notes. The FSA ID consists of a username and a password. It is sometimes called a FAFSA ID. You must file the FAFSA in order to get a federal student loan.
If you are starting the FAFSA form on behalf of your child, choose the option on the bottom, “I am a parent, preparer, or student from a Freely Associated State.”. Select the option that says “I am a parent, preparer, or student from a Freely Associated State” on the FAFSA application homepage. Enter your child’s name, Social Security number, ...
Start the FAFSA® form at StudentAid.gov. Go to StudentAid.gov and select “Apply for Aid” then “Complete the FAFSA® Form” along the top of the page. Select “Start Here” under “New to the FAFSA® Process?”. Once on the log in page, you will see two options.
Both: If your child will be attending college during both time periods and hasn’t completed the 2020–21 FAFSA® form yet, complete that first, wait until it processes (one to three days), then go back in and complete the 2021–22 FAFSA® form after.
Choose which FAFSA form you’d like to complete. 2020–21 FAFSA® form if your child will be attending college between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021. 2021–22 FAFSA® form if your child will be attending college between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022.
If your child is determined to be a dependent student, he or she will be required to report information about you. If your child is determined to be an independent student, you can skip the questions about providing parent information (unless otherwise noted by the school).
Even if your child doesn’t live with you, supports himself or herself, and files taxes separate ly from you, he or she may still be considered a dependent student for federal student aid purposes.
It doesn’t hurt to add more schools; colleges can’t see the other schools that have been added. In fact, you don’t even have to remove schools if your child later decides not to apply or attend. If your child doesn’t end up applying or getting accepted to a school, the school can just disregard his or her FAFSA® form.