FAFSA Completion Information and Checklist

2024 – 2025 FAFSA

(For Enrollment July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025)

Are you Dependent or Independent? If the answer to these questions are all “No”, then you are considered
to be a dependent student and will be required to provide your parent(s) information.

 Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. armed forces for purposes other than training?
 Are you a veteran of the U.S. armed forces?
 Do you have children or other people (excluding your spouse) who live with you and receives more than half of their
support from you now and between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025?
 At any time since you turned 13, were you an orphan (no living biological or adoptive parent)?
 At any time since you turned 13, were you a ward of the court?
 At any time since you turned 13, were you in foster care?
 Are you a legally emancipated minor as determined by a court in your state of residence?
 Are you in a legal guardianship with someone other than a parent or step-parent, as determined by a court in your state of
legal residence?
 At any time on or after July 1, 2023 were you unaccompanied and (1) homeless or (2) self-supporting and at risk of being
homeless? If yes, did any of the following determine you were homeless or at risk of becoming homeless?
o Director or designee of an emergency or transitional shelter, street outreach program, homeless youth drop-in
center, or other program serving those experiencing homelessness
o The student’s high school or school district homeless liaison or designee
o Director or designee of a project supported by a federal TRIO or GEAR UP program grant
o Financial Aid administrator

I Don’t Live With My Parents

You still must answer the questions about your parents if you’re considered a dependent student.

My Parents Refuse To Provide Information on My FAFSA® Form

You can’t be considered independent of your parents just because they refuse to help you with this process. If
you do not provide their information on the FAFSA form, the application will be considered “rejected,” and
you may not be able to receive any federal student aid. The most you would be able to get (depending on
what the financial aid office at your college or career/trade school decides) would be an unsubsidized Direct
Loan. The FAFSA instructions will tell you what to do if you are in this situation.

No Contact With My Parents

If you have no contact with your parents and don’t know where they live, or you’ve left home due to an
abusive situation, select “Yes” to the “Do unusual circumstances prevent the student from contacting their
parents or would contacting their parents pose a risk to the student?” question on the 2024–25 FAFSA form.
You’ll be considered provisionally independent. To complete your application, you should contact the financial
aid office at the college or career/trade school you plan to attend to find out what supporting documentation
you’ll need to submit directly to the school.

Changes to My Personal Circumstances

If your personal circumstances change after you submit your 2024–25 FAFSA form, contact your school’s
financial aid office to ask if they have a policy that allows you to update your dependency status. The financial
aid staff will tell you what to do.
What to bring to FAFSA Completion Event:

1. Student’s Social Security Number (can be found on Social Security card).

2. Parents and/or Step-Parent’s Information:

1. Parents and/or Step-Parent’s Social Security Number
2. Parents and/or Step-Parent’s Dates of Birth

3. Student’s FSA ID. Go to www.studentaid.gov and click “Create Account” to create FSA ID. Make sure
to use a personal email that is different than parent’s email. The FSA ID must be created before FAFSA
can be started. It takes 3 – 10 days for FSA ID to be verified.

4. Parent FSA ID if dependent. Go to www.studentaid.gov and click “Create Account” to create parent
FSA ID. Make sure to use a different email address than student. The FSA ID must be created before
FAFSA can be started. It takes 3 – 10 days for FSA ID to be verified. If parents file taxes jointly, only
one parent will need an FSA ID. If parents live together but file taxes separately, then both parents will
need an FSA ID

5. If student is not a US Citizen, student’s documentation that states student is a U.S. permanent resident
or other eligible non-citizen. (Alien registration number)

6. Student’s 2022 federal tax return (will be retrieved electronically through the Direct Data Exchange
process when FAFSA is processed; however, bring a copy just in case.)

7. Parents and/or Step-Parent’s 2022 federal tax return (may be retrieved electronically in the FAFSA
using the Data Retrieval Tool; however, bring a copy just in case.)

8. Student or Parents and/or Step-Parent amount of child support received.

9. You will also need to provide the following information in the FAFSA form for the Student, and Parents
and/or Step-Parent:

1. Balance in cash, checking, or savings accounts

2. Amount of assets (do not include value of family home or family farm) (if applicable)
3. Value of business (if applicable)

After you have created your student FSA ID, you may begin completing the FAFSA at www.studentaid.gov.
Click the link for the FAFSA form. Be sure to sign in using the student FSA ID.