If you are attending college during the summer term, contact your financial aid office to determine which year's FAFSA to complete.
Student Name:
Use your legal name - the one that appears on your Social Security card. Make sure the name is in the correct order: Last, First, Middle Initial. If you don't have a Middle Initial, leave it blank.
Student Social Security Number:
Double check your Social Security Number (SSN) for accuracy. You must have a valid SSN to be eligible to receive federal aid.
If you are a resident of the Freely Associated States (i.e. the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Federated States of Micronesia) you may have an identification number beginning with 666. In this case you may submit that number on the FAFSA in place of your social security numbers. You will be assigned a social security number with the last 6 digits which will be displayed in a message box when you reach the final page of the online FAFSA. In the event you leave the FAFSA application before receiving this number you may retrieve the application by using the 666 number. If you have been assigned a nine digit number you will use that full 9 digit number to retrieve an saved application. If you have a previously assigned number beginning with 888, replace those digits with 666. Once assigned a 9 digit identification number you will continue to use that number each year to file your FAFSA.
Student Birthdate:
Do not use dashes to separate month, day and year on either the Web or paper applications.
For example, if you were born on December 1, 1996, you would enter 12011996.
Student's Mailing Address:
The address is a permanent home mailing address, normally the one you or your parent(s) put on their taxes.
Student's State of Legal Residence: Legal Residence
If you are a dependent student, the state of legal residence is usually the state in which your parents live. If you moved from your family's state of residence into a state for the sole purpose of attending a college, do not count that state as your legal residence.
States have varying criteria for determining whether you are a resident for purposes of state financial aid. However, if you established a true, fixed, and permanent home in any state more than four years ago, you will meet its residency criteria. Select "Yes" if you became a resident of your state before January 1, 2012 or "No" if you became a resident of your state on or after January 1, 2012.
Your state will use this information to determine whether you meet its specific residency criteria for state aid. If you answered "No" to the question asking if you became a legal resident of your state before January 1, 2012, provide the month and year you became a legal resident of your state.
For example, if your date of legal residency is May 1, 2015 you would enter 052015.
Student Telephone Number:
Enter your permanent telephone number where you can be contacted. It is acceptable to list a cell phone number.
Student Email Address:
If you enter your email address the Department of Education will be able to send a confirmation of your Student Aid Report (SAR) through a secure emailed link. If you do not receive an email within 3-5 days, check your junk mail folder. This email address will also be available to the colleges you list on the FAFSA.
It is recommended that you put these addresses into your email address book to avoid delays:
FSA-ID@ed.gov
FederalStudentAidFAFSA@cpsemail.ed.gov
By leaving the email blank, you will receive your Student Aid Report by mail; this can take up to four weeks.
Student Marital Status:
This question asks for the marital status of the STUDENT filling out the form. You must report your marital status as of the date the FAFSA application is completed. An applicant should contact the financial aid office to request an update to a filed FAFSA if changes in marital status have occurred after the application is filed.
Date of Marital Event: Date married, divorced, separated, or widowed
The STUDENT should enter the month and year of marriage, divorce, separation, or widowhood. This will be the date of the most recent marital event. If none of these apply, leave this question blank.
For example, if your were married, divorced, separated or widowed on May 1, 1980 you would enter 051980.
Student Driver's License:
List your license number and state in which it was issued. If you do not have a license, list a state ID number or leave blank.
Student Citizenship Status:
You can receive federal student financial aid only if you are a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen. If you have changed from a noncitizen to a citizen and have not informed the Social Security Administration (SSA), contact the SSA to update your status. Otherwise, the SSA may report that you are not a citizen, and you will have to provide citizenship documentation before receiving aid.
- U.S. permanent resident who has an Alien Registration Receipt Card, Permanent Resident Card (I-551 also known as a Green card)
- A conditional permanent resident (I-551C)
- A noncitizen with an Arrival-Departure record (I-94) from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) (specifically, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) showing any one of the following designations: "Refugee," "Asylum Granted," "Parolee" (I-94 confirms 'paroled for a minimum of 1-year status' has not expired), T-Visa holder (T-1, T-2, T-3, etc) or "Cuban-Haitian Entrant" or a valid certification or eligibility letter from the Department of Health and Human Services showing status as a victim of human trafficking.
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
- An F-1 or F-2 student visa
- A J-1 or J-2 exchange visitor visa
- A G series visa (pertaining to international organizations)
However, you may be eligible for state or institutional aid and may therefore wish to complete the FAFSA. If you are completing a paper FAFSA, fill in the 3rd oval. On FAFSA on the Web, indicate that you are not a citizen by using the drop down menu. Please note, however, if you do not have a Social Security number, the processor will not process your FAFSA. If you are in this situation, you should contact your college financial aid office for information on how to proceed.
Alien Registration Number:
If you are an eligible noncitizen, enter your eight or nine digit Alien Registration Number. If you have an eight digit Alien Registration Number place a 0 (zero) in the first space followed by the eight digit number.
If you answer "yes" to the question asking whether you are a U.S. citizen you may leave this question blank.
Selective Service:
To receive federal student financial aid, male students (US citizens and permanent resident aliens) who are 18 through 25 years old and born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with Selective Service. This requirement applies to any person assigned the sex of male at birth. If you are required, and not yet registered, mark "Register me" and the Department of Education will automatically enroll you. For more information on Selective Service or to register online go to www.sss.gov.
If you believe that you are not required to register or failed to register between ages 18-25, call the Selective Service office at: 1-888-655-1825 for information regarding exemptions.
Female students should leave Question 22 blank and skip to Question 23.
High School Completion Status: High School Diploma, GED, or Bachelor's Degree
If you will receive your high school diploma or earn a General Education Development (GED) certificate or equivalent home school credential before you enroll in college for the 2017-2018 school year, indicate the appropriate option for this question. You may also select high school diploma if you graduated from a foreign institution and received a diploma in your home country. If you do not have a high school diploma, GED, or home school credential indicate none of the above and contact your college for information regarding alternative admissions criteria.
Choose from the following:
- High school diploma
- General Educational Development (GED) certificate
- Home schooled
- None of the above
High School Attended:
Indicate the High School name, city and state from which you received your high school diploma. If you earned a GED or were homeschooled you may skip this question.
Student Grade Level in College:
Grade level does not mean the number of years you have attended college, but rather your progresssion towards completing your degree/certificate. (For example, if you are enrolled less than full time, it will take longer to reach the same grade level than a full-time student.) A high school senior who has been taking college classes and will be graduating from high school with college credits will answer never attended college and 1st year undergraduate.
Choose from the following:
- Never attended college & 1st year undergraduate (high school seniors and/or first-time students should choose this grade level)
- Attended college before/1st year undergraduate
- 2nd year undergraduate/sophomore
- 3rd year undergraduate/junior
- 4th year undergraduate/senior
- 5th year/other undergraduate
- 1st year graduate/professional
- Continuing graduate/professional or beyond
Interest in Work Study:
This question pertains to your interest in a work study position. Work study is based upon financial need and allows you to earn money while attending college. You get paid for the hours worked and the earnings will not affect future financial aid eligibility. Note: Requesting a work-study position will not affect your eligibility to receive a grant. The FAFSA automatically assumes that you are interested in grant aid regardless of your answer to question 31. If you are unsure how to answer this question we suggest you answer yes and you may decline the option at a future time.
Student's Anticipated Degree : Degree or Certificate Definitions
Indicate the option for the expected degree or certificate you will be working on during the 2017-2018 school year. This should be the first degree you are receiving. For example, if you plan to attend a community college before transferring to a four year school you would mark Associate Degree (general education or transfer program).
Choose from the following:
- 1st bachelor's degree
- 2nd bachelor's degree
- associate degree (occupational or technical program)
- associate degree (general education or transfer program)
- Certificate or diploma for completing an occupational, technical, or educational program of less than two years
- Certificate or diploma for completing an occupational, technical, or educational program of two or more years
- Teaching credential program (nondegree program)
- Graduate or professional degree
- Other/undecided
First Bachelor's Degree:
This question has a direct bearing on your eligibility for Federal Pell Grants and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, which are restricted to students who have not yet received bachelor's degrees. The only exception is that certain students who already have a bachelor's degree and are now taking courses for teacher certification may receive a Pell Grant. You must answer "Yes" to this question if you have (or will have by July 1, 2017) a degree from a college in the U.S., or an equivalent degree from a college in another country. If you incorrectly answer, "Yes" to this question, you will be ineligible for a Federal Pell Grant unless a correction is made.
Parent Educational Level:
These questions do not affect your eligibility for federal student aid. Some state and institutional programs use the information provided to offer aid to first-generation college students.
Enter the highest grade level completed by your father and mother. "Father" and "Mother" in these questions mean your birth parents or adoptive parents, but not stepparents or foster parents. Note that this definition of parents is unique to these two questions. Mark college or beyond if your parent has completed any degree beyond their high school diploma. If you don't know the answer, select or fill in "Other/unknown."
Drug Convictions: Possession or Sale of Illegal Drugs
Question 23 relates to convictions for possessing or selling illegal drugs during a time when you were receiving federal student aid (such as grants, loans, or work-study). If you have been convicted, you are not necessarily ineligible for aid. If you complete a paper application and answer "Yes" to this question, you will receive a worksheet in the mail. You can use this worksheet to determine whether the conviction affects your eligibility for federal student aid. If you file on the Web and answer "Yes" to this question, you will be prompted to complete a worksheet on the Web site and will be able to complete the entire process online.
If you have a conviction, you should still complete and submit the FAFSA. You might still be eligible for state or institutional aid. Many states and schools use the data supplied by the FAFSA to determine students' eligibility for aid from other non-federal entities.
Do not leave Question 23 blank. You will not be able to receive aid until you have provided an answer to this question.
