Who can complete a FAFSA form

To complete a FAFSA form, you must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident with a valid Social Security number. You also need a high school diploma, GED, or homeschool completion credential. If you are enrolled in a degree or certificate program at a school that participates in federal student aid, you can fill out the form.

You do not need to have been admitted to a school before submitting your FAFSA. Many students complete it before they decide where to attend, and schools use the information to calculate aid packages. However, you must intend to pursue at least a half-time course load in an may be able to access program — full-time study is not required, but part-time study below half-time does not may have access to.

If you are not a U.S. citizen but hold a permanent resident card (green card), you can complete the FAFSA. Undocumented students and students on temporary visas cannot. Some states and individual colleges offer aid to undocumented students through separate programs, but those are not part of the federal FAFSA process.

Key Takeaways

  • You must be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident with a Social Security number to complete a FAFSA.
  • A high school diploma, GED, or homeschool completion credential is required; you do not need college admission first.
  • You must be enrolled in or planning to enroll in at least a half-time degree or certificate program at a school that participates in federal student aid.
  • Your FAFSA results determine your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which schools use to calculate how much aid you may receive.
  • You must resubmit your FAFSA each year you want to receive aid, and deadlines vary by state and school.

What documents and information you will need

Before you start the FAFSA, gather your Social Security number, driver's license or state ID, and your Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID. The FSA ID is a username and password you create at studentaid.gov — it is different from your school login and is used only for federal aid forms. If you do not have one yet, create it before you begin; the process takes about 10 minutes.

You will also need your most recent tax return or tax information. If you filed taxes, bring your 1040 form and any schedules. If you did not file, you will need to report your income directly on the FAFSA. Have your parents' tax information ready too if they will be helping you fill out the form — even if they do not contribute money to your education, their income and assets affect your aid calculation.

Gather records of any untaxed income, such as Social Security benefits, workers' compensation, or child support received. If you own a home, farm, or business, you may need to report its value. Have your school's Federal School Code ready — you can find it on the school's financial aid website or by searching the Federal School Code database at studentaid.gov.

Income and asset limits that affect your aid amount

The FAFSA does not have a hard income cutoff that makes you ineligible. Instead, your income and assets are used to calculate your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) — the amount the federal government estimates your family can pay toward education. Schools subtract this from the cost of attendance to determine how much aid you may receive. Families with higher income typically have a higher EFC and receive less aid, but you can still receive aid at any income level.

Assets are treated differently depending on whose name they are in. Parents' assets are counted at a lower rate than student assets. Money in a 529 college savings plan owned by a parent is counted as a parental asset. Money in a 529 owned by a grandparent or other relative is not counted on the FAFSA at all, though it may affect aid at individual schools.

Certain types of income do not count toward your EFC. Untaxed Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and certain veterans' benefits are excluded. Some states also exclude specific types of income. The FAFSA form itself will walk you through which income to report and which to skip.

Citizenship and residency requirements

You must be a U.S. citizen or national to receive federal student aid through the FAFSA. Permanent residents (green card holders) are also may be able to access. If you are a permanent resident, you will need your Alien Registration Number (A-number) from your green card when you fill out the FAFSA.

State aid often has additional residency rules. Most states require you to have lived in the state for at least one year before you start college, though some have longer waiting periods. A few states do not have residency requirements at all. Check your state's higher education agency website to learn the rules where you plan to attend school.

If you are a dependent student, your parents' residency status does not have to match yours. You can be a permanent resident even if your parents are not, and you can still complete the FAFSA. However, your parents' immigration status may affect whether they are required to have a Social Security number or tax ID to complete the form.

How your enrollment status affects your aid

Your enrollment status — full-time, three-quarter time, half-time, or less than half-time — determines how much aid you can receive. Most federal aid programs require at least half-time enrollment, which is typically 6 credit hours per semester for undergraduate students. Some grants and loans have different minimums, so check with your school's financial aid office about what counts as half-time at your institution.

If you are enrolled less than half-time, you may still be able to take out unsubsidized federal loans, but you will not be may be able to access for grants like the Pell Grant or subsidized loans. Your school will calculate your aid based on your actual enrollment, so if you start full-time and drop to part-time mid-semester, your aid package may be adjusted and you could owe money back.

Some students attend school part-time while working or managing other responsibilities. If that is your situation, you can still complete the FAFSA and receive some aid, but understand that your options will be narrower than for full-time students. Talk to your school's financial aid office about what aid is available at your enrollment level before you enroll.

What happens after you submit your FAFSA

After you submit your FAFSA, the Department of Education processes it and sends your results to the schools you listed. You will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) that shows the information you reported and your Expected Family Contribution. Check this report carefully — if anything is wrong, you can make corrections online at studentaid.gov.

Each school then uses your FAFSA information to calculate a financial aid package. This package may include grants (money you do not repay), loans (money you borrow and repay), and work-study (on-campus jobs). The school will send you this package, usually called an award letter, by mail or email. You do not automatically receive aid just because you submitted the FAFSA — you must accept the aid the school offers, and you must enroll in the school to receive it.

If your circumstances change after you submit — such as a job loss, divorce, or unexpected expense — contact your school's financial aid office. Many schools can adjust your aid through a process called a professional judgment review. This is not automatic, but it is worth asking about if your situation has changed significantly.

Resubmitting your FAFSA each year

You must complete a new FAFSA each year you want to receive aid. The form opens October 1 and closes June 30, though some schools and states have earlier deadlines. If you miss your school's deadline, you may still be able to submit, but you could receive less aid or lose aid entirely.

Each year's FAFSA uses the prior year's tax information. For the 2024–2025 school year, you report 2022 tax information. This is called the prior-prior year (PPY) rule. If your financial situation has changed significantly since that tax year, your aid may not reflect your current circumstances — but you can still ask your school's financial aid office for a review.

Set a reminder for October 1 each year to submit your FAFSA. If you are a dependent student, your parents will need to sign in with their FSA ID as well. If you are independent, you sign in alone. Either way, the process takes 15 to 30 minutes if you have your documents ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to be admitted to a school before I complete my FAFSA?

No. You can complete your FAFSA before you have been admitted anywhere. You will list schools on the form, and they will receive your information, but admission is separate from financial aid. Many students complete the FAFSA before they decide where to apply or enroll.

What if my parents refuse to provide their information?

If your parents will not help you complete the FAFSA, you may be able to file as an independent student. Independent status is not based on age or whether your parents claim you as a dependent on taxes — it is based on specific circumstances like being married, having dependents of your own, or being in foster care. Contact your school's financial aid office to learn whether you may have access to and what documentation you need.

Can I complete the FAFSA if I am not a U.S. citizen?

Only U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents can complete the federal FAFSA. If you are an international student or undocumented, you cannot use the FAFSA. However, some schools and states offer aid to these students through separate programs. Contact the financial aid office at schools you are interested in to learn what options may be available.

What if I made a mistake on my FAFSA after I submitted it?

You can correct your FAFSA online at studentaid.gov at any time. Log in with your FSA ID, select the year you want to change, and make your corrections. The Department of Education will reprocess your form, and your schools will receive the updated information. If you discover an error after you have already received aid, tell your school's financial aid office right away.

Do I lose my aid if I change schools?

Your FAFSA results follow you to any school you attend, but each school calculates its own aid package based on your FAFSA information and the school's cost of attendance. If you transfer, your new school will use the same FAFSA data but may offer a different aid package. Some aid, like the Pell Grant, moves with you. Other aid, like school-specific scholarships, does not. Contact your new school's financial aid office to understand how your aid transfers.