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FAFSA 101 –
RESOURCES FOR PARENTS
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) 2021-22
JANUARY 2021
ITEMS NEEDED TO FILE FAFSA
Assess your Senior’s progress FSA ID — Create a Username and Password at fsaid.ed.gov in order to sign
regarding graduation and the the FAFSA electronically, if you are providing parental information. Your
college planning process and Senior will also need to create their own FSA ID.
evaluate the outcomes. Your Social Security number if your Senior is required to provide
parental information.
FEBRUARY 2021 Your Senior’s Social Security number.
Your Senior’s Driver’s license number, if applicable.
Encourage your Senior to Your Senior’s Alien Registration Number, if not a US citizen.
take SAT Subject Tests. Visit: 2019 Federal tax information or tax returns including IRS W-2 information for
www.collegeboard.org your Senior and for you (and your spouse if you are married) if your Senior is a
dependent student. (see Helpful Hints to determine Dependency Status).
Encourage your Senior to Records of untaxed income, such as child support received, interest
take Advanced Placement income, and veterans non-education benefits for your Senior and for you,
(AP) Exams. Contact your if you are providing parental information.
school’s AP Coordinator for
more information. Information on cash, savings and checking account balances, investments
including real estate, but not including the home in which you live; and
business and farm assets for your Senior and for you if you are providing
MARCH 2021 parental information.
FAFSA – HELPFUL HINTS
Encourage your Senior to
check e-mail regularly Apply for the FAFSA at the FREE site www.fafsa.gov or download the free app
and to respond to requests MyStudentAid. Never pay to apply.
from Federal Student The 2021—22 FAFSA will be available on October 1, 2020. Your 2019 tax
Aid, college admissions information will be used for the 2021-22 FAFSA. Utilize the IRS Data Retrieval
representatives and financial Tool (IRS DRT) to accurately import your tax information into the FAFSA.
aid administrators in a You can begin your FASFA, save it and return to it later, but no longer
timely manner. than 45 days. Be sure to keep a record of your Save Key.
Review and compare college If parents are divorced or separated, the parent who provided the most
financial aid awards with support for the student or whom the student lived with the most during
your Senior. Contact the the past 12 months should complete the FAFSA, no matter who claims
financial aid office at your the student on taxes.
priority colleges if you have Your Senior’s dependency status determines whose information you must
any questions. report on the FAFSA. Go to www.tinyurl.com/FAFSA-dependencystatus to
Encourage your Senior to determine your Senior’s status.
finalize admissions and Grandparents or anyone else the student may be living with – apart
financial aid documentation from their biological or adoptive parents – are not permitted to complete
at priority colleges. the FAFSA as a parent.
The FAFSA should only be completed by the student and/or their legal parent(s).
By completing the FAFSA, you are automatically applying for the federal
APRIL 2021 Pell Grant, student Loans and the Work-Study Program as well as the
state-based TOPS program.
The FAFSA takes approximately 20-30 minutes to complete if you and your
File your 2020 Tax Return Senior have all of the required information at hand. For your convenience,
prior to April 15 which will be FAFSA on the Web has built-in help to guide you through the application
used for the 2022-23 FAFSA. process. Skip logic is used to guide you to answer key questions and may allow
Assist your Senior in filing you to skip other questions and complete the form faster. You and your Senior,
their 2020 Tax Return prior if classified as “dependent”, will each be required to electronically sign the
to April 15 which will be used FAFSA form utilizing the unique FSA ID you each created.
for the 2022-23 FAFSA. The
FAFSA must be completed FSA ID – HELPFUL HINTS
every academic year.
Before completing the FASFA online, each Senior and one parent, if
providing parental information, needs to create a Federal Student Aid ID
(FSA ID) fsaid.ed.gov
MAY 2021 Please create your own FSA ID.
The FSA ID will consist of a username and a password. Record and retain
Attend your Senior’s your username and password.
graduation and make plans
to assist with transitioning Keep track of the FSA ID information and all important college
to college. Talk to your information in a special folder.
Senior about the college’s The student and parent, if applicable, will each need a separate active
orientation and registration e-mail address to create each FSA ID.
process as well as deadlines Please verify your email address and cell phone number for future
and requirements for identification.
payment of fees.