FAFSA Information

Students use this application to apply for federal student grants, work-study money, and loans to assist them in funding their college education. They may also use this application to apply for most state and some private financial aid. It is free to file the FAFSA.

According to the Department of Education, the 2024-25 FAFSA will be available in December 2023 due to the new FAFSA release.

To be eligible for federal aid, a student must be a U.S. Citizen or eligible non-citizen, registered with Selective Service (if required), be a degree-seeking student enrolled at least part-time (6 credit hours or more for an undergraduate student, 3 credit hours or more for a graduate student), and not be in default on a federal student loan.

In order to complete the FAFSA, you and your parents will need your previous year federal tax records.

You will need to refer to the following:

• Social Security number for both student and parent (if dependent)
• Driver's license (if any)
• W-2 Forms and other records of money earned
• Untaxed income records - Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, welfare, or veterans benefits records
• A current bank statement
• Current business and investment mortgage information, business and farm records, stock, bond, and other investment records
• Your alien registration card (if you are not a U.S. citizen)

If you are not filing a tax return, choose 'will not file' for tax filing status.

If you and your parents live on the farm and your parents claimed on Schedule F of the U.S. tax return that they "materially participated in the farm's operation," the farm does not have to be listed under assets.

You must enter your Social Security number on the FAFSA form. If you don't submit your social security number, the form will be returned unprocessed and you will not be considered for federal student aid. Additionally, at least one parent social security number along with name and date of birth must also be supplied if you are a dependent student.

The parent you lived with most during the last 12 months. If you didn't live with either parent, or if you lived with each parent an equal number of days, use the parent who provided most of the support to you in the most recent calendar year. If your biological parents are unmarried and live together, you must report income for both parents.

If the biological parent whose information you are reporting on the need analysis form has married or remarried, you must include information about your step-parent (even if they were not married in the previous year).

Verification is when the Department of Education wants to make sure the tax and household information filed on the FAFSA is correct. The student must send their tax information to the schools where they applied for financial aid.

Under the Federal US Department of Education definition, an independent student is one who meets at least one of the following conditions:

• Is 24 years old
• Is a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces
• Is an orphan (parents deceased) or ward of the court (or was a ward of the court until age 18)
• Has legal dependents other than a spouse
• Is married
• Is a graduate, a professional student or has already earned a bachelor's degree
• Has been in foster care at any time since age 13
• Emancipated minor in state of legal residence
• In legal guardianship in state of legal residence
• Unaccompanied or homeless youth

No. The Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of Education rules for determining dependency are different. Even if a student claims themselves on their taxes as an exemption and their parents do not, that has no bearing on a student's FAFSA status.