What Documents and Information You Need Before Starting FAFSA

Gather these documents before you log in

You will need your Social Security number, date of birth, and driver's license or state ID number. Have your parents' or spouse's Social Security numbers ready too, depending on your situation. FAFSA asks for these to verify who you are and to match your information against tax records.

If you are a U.S. citizen, you will also need to know your citizenship status or alien registration number. Non-citizens may still fill out FAFSA, but the form asks which category applies to you — that information determines what aid you may be offered.

Key Takeaways

Bring your Social Security number, date of birth, and state ID or driver's license number before you start.
You will need either your tax return from two years ago or your parents' tax return, depending on whether you are a dependent.
Have your FSA ID ready — this is a separate login that lets you sign the form electronically, and you create it before you begin FAFSA itself.
If you do not have a tax return yet, FAFSA lets you estimate your income and update it later once you file.
Gather your bank statements, investment records, and any untaxed income documents so you can report assets accurately.

Tax information: what year and whose return

FAFSA uses tax information from two years before the school year you are asking about. If you are filling out FAFSA for the 2024–2025 school year, you will report income from 2022. This is called the "prior-prior year" rule.

If you are a dependent student, you report your parents' tax information, not your own. If you are independent, you report your own. The form asks questions that help determine whether you count as dependent — usually it comes down to whether your parents claim you on their taxes and whether they provide most of your support.

You do not have to have filed your taxes yet to fill out FAFSA. You can enter estimates based on what you expect your income to be, then update the form later once you file. Many students do this because FAFSA opens October 1 and tax filing does not start until January.

FSA ID: your electronic signature

Before you open FAFSA, create an FSA ID at studentaid.gov. This is a separate username and password that acts as your electronic signature on the form. You will need an email address and a phone number to set one up.

If you are a dependent, your parent or guardian also needs their own FSA ID to sign the form. You cannot sign for them, and they cannot sign for you. If you are independent, only you need one. Creating an FSA ID takes about five minutes and you can do it anytime before you start FAFSA.

Income and asset information

Gather your bank statements, investment account statements, and records of any untaxed income. FAFSA asks about savings accounts, checking accounts, stocks, bonds, and real estate you own (other than your primary home). Have the account balances as of the date you file.

If you received untaxed income — such as Social Security, veterans benefits, workers' compensation, or child support — write down the amounts. FAFSA separates taxed income from untaxed income because they affect your aid differently. If you are unsure whether something counts as untaxed income, bring the document anyway; you can look it up while filling out the form.

You do not need to report the value of your home, your car, or retirement accounts like 401(k)s or IRAs. FAFSA does not count those toward your assets.

Information about school and dependents

Have the name and Federal School Code for each school you want to send your FAFSA information to. You can search for the code at studentaid.gov — it is a six-digit number. You can list up to ten schools on one FAFSA form.

If you have dependents other than a spouse, write down how many and their ages. FAFSA asks this because having dependents can change the amount of aid you are offered. You do not need to list their names or Social Security numbers, just the count and ages.

Special circumstances and additional forms

FAFSA itself is one form, but some situations require you to fill out extra paperwork after you submit it. If you are in foster care, homeless, or unaccompanied, your school's financial aid office may ask you to complete a separate form to document that. If your parents are incarcerated or you are a ward of the court, you will need to report that on FAFSA, and your school may follow up with questions.

If your family's financial situation changed dramatically between the tax year FAFSA uses and now — such as a job loss or medical emergency — you can ask your school's financial aid office about a special circumstances review. You will need to document the change, but this is not part of FAFSA itself; it happens after you submit.

What you do not need to bring

You do not need your Social Security card itself, just the number. You do not need to print anything out or mail anything in — FAFSA is entirely online. You do not need to have filed your taxes yet, and you do not need to have been accepted to a school yet.

You do not need to bring pay stubs, W-2 forms, or 1099 forms to fill out FAFSA, though you may want them nearby to check numbers. FAFSA pulls some tax information directly from the IRS if you give it permission to do so, which is faster and more accurate than typing it in yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I fill out FAFSA without my parents' information if they refuse to help?

If your parents will not provide their information and you cannot contact them, you may be able to file as an independent student. This requires meeting specific conditions — such as being homeless, in foster care, or a ward of the court. Your school's financial aid office can tell you whether you meet the definition and what documents you need to prove it.

What if I do not have a Social Security number?

You need a Social Security number to file FAFSA. If you are a non-citizen, you may have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) instead. FAFSA accepts ITINs. If you do not have either, contact your school's financial aid office about your options.

Do I need to report my parents' assets if I am a dependent?

Yes. If you are a dependent, FAFSA asks about your parents' bank accounts, investments, and real estate (other than their home). Your parents' assets affect how much aid you are offered, just as your own assets do.

Can I update my FAFSA after I file my taxes?

Yes. You can log back into your FAFSA form and update your income information once you file your taxes. Many schools also have a process called verification where they ask you to send tax documents to confirm what you reported. Check with your school about their timeline.

What if my parents are divorced or separated?

FAFSA asks about the parent you live with more than half the time, or the parent who claims you on taxes if you split time equally. If your parents are unmarried and living together, you report both. If one parent remarried, you also report the stepparent's information. Your school's financial aid office can clarify which parent to report if you are unsure.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.