What you need to do first

A parent creates a FAFSA account by going to studentaid.gov and selecting "Create an account" under the Federal Student Aid login section. You will need a valid email address, a password you create, and a phone number. The account itself takes about 10 minutes to set up. After that, you can start a FAFSA form for each student in your household who is going to college.

The account is separate from your student's account. Your student will also need their own login on studentaid.gov — they create that the same way you do. Both of you will use your own usernames and passwords. This separation matters because the FAFSA asks for information from both the parent and the student, and the system tracks who entered what.

You do not need to wait until your student has been admitted to a college. You can create your account and start the FAFSA as soon as you have a Social Security number for your student and know your household income for the year you are filing for.

Key Takeaways

  • You create a parent account on studentaid.gov with your email, a password, and a phone number, separate from your student's account.
  • Your student must also create their own account on studentaid.gov using their own email and password before either of you can complete the FAFSA together.
  • You will need your Social Security number, your student's Social Security number, and your most recent tax return or income information to fill out the FAFSA form.
  • The FAFSA form asks for parent information first, then student information, and both of you must review and sign the completed form before it is submitted.
  • After you submit the FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Index number, which colleges use to calculate how much financial aid your student may receive.

The information you will need to gather before starting

Before you log in and begin, collect your Social Security number, your student's Social Security number, and your driver's license or state ID number. You will also need your most recent tax return — either the one you filed last year or the one you are currently working on. If you have not filed taxes yet for the year you are reporting, you can use your W-2 forms, pay stubs, or a tax transcript from the IRS.

Have your student's high school information available as well. You will need the name and code of the high school your student attends or graduated from. If your student is homeschooled, you will enter that information instead. You should also have a list of colleges your student is interested in, though you can add or change these later.

If you have other children in college or in graduate school during the same year, gather their names and enrollment status. The FAFSA uses this information to calculate how much aid your family may receive, because the expected family contribution is divided among all students in college at the same time.

Walking through the account creation process

Go to studentaid.gov and look for the login section in the upper right corner. Click "Create an account." You will be asked to enter your email address — use one you check regularly, because the system will send you updates about your FAFSA status. Create a password that is at least 12 characters long and includes uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and a special character like ! or #.

Next, enter your phone number. The system may send you a verification code by text or email to confirm it is really you. After you verify, you will be asked to set up security questions and answers. Choose questions you can remember the answers to — you will need them if you ever forget your password. Write down your username (usually your email address) and password somewhere safe.

Once your account is created, you are not yet ready to fill out the FAFSA. You need to wait for your student to create their own account first. Send them the link to studentaid.gov and have them click "Create an account" using their own email address and password. They should use their real name and their own Social Security number when prompted.

Connecting your account to your student's information

After both of you have accounts, log into your parent account on studentaid.gov. You will see a section that says "Start a FAFSA form" or "Add a student." Click that button and enter your student's name and date of birth. The system will ask you to confirm your student's Social Security number. At this point, the FAFSA form is linked to both your account and your student's account.

Your student does not need to be present while you fill out the parent section of the FAFSA. You can enter all your household and income information on your own. However, before the form is submitted, your student will need to log into their own account and complete the student section, which asks about their work history, assets, and other personal information.

If you have more than one student going to college, you can add each one from your parent account. Create a separate FAFSA form for each student, but you only need one parent account to manage all of them.

What happens after you submit the FAFSA

Once both you and your student have filled out your sections and signed the form electronically, you submit it. The system will give you a confirmation number — save this. Within a few days, you will receive an email at the address you used to create your account. This email contains your Student Aid Index, which is the number colleges use to determine how much aid your student may receive.

You can log back into your account anytime to check the status of your FAFSA or to make changes. If your income changes, if you have a new dependent, or if you need to correct information you entered, you can update the form. Colleges will see the most recent version you submit.

The colleges your student listed on the FAFSA will receive the Student Aid Index information automatically. Your student will then receive financial aid offers from each school. These offers are based partly on the FAFSA information and partly on each college's own funding.

Common mistakes to avoid when setting up your account

The most common error is using the wrong email address — one you do not check regularly or one you might lose access to. The system sends important updates to this address, so use an email you will have for years. If you change your email later, you can update it in your account settings, but it is easier to choose the right one from the start.

Another frequent mistake is having your student create an account using a parent's email address or Social Security number instead of their own. The FAFSA system needs your student's real information in their account. If this happens, you can contact the Federal Student Aid office to have the account corrected, but it is faster to create a new account with the correct information from the beginning.

Do not share your password with your student, and do not let your student share theirs with you. You each log in separately. If you need to see what your student entered, they can show you by logging in on their own device while you watch, but you should never use their password yourself.

If you run into problems during account creation

If you forget your password, click "Forgot password?" on the studentaid.gov login page. The system will send you a link to reset it. If you cannot access the email address you used to create the account, you will need to contact the Federal Student Aid office. They can verify your identity and help you regain access.

If the system tells you that an account with your email already exists, it is possible you created one in a previous year. Try logging in with that email and your password from before. If you cannot remember the password, use the "Forgot password?" link. If you are certain you have never created an account before, contact Federal Student Aid support.

The Federal Student Aid office can be reached by phone at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time. They can also answer questions about what information you need or how to fill out specific sections of the FAFSA form.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to create a new account every year?

No. You keep the same account from year to year. When your student is a sophomore, junior, or senior in college, you log back into the same account and start a new FAFSA form for that year. Your username and password stay the same.

What if my student is already 18 — do they still need me to create a parent account?

Yes. Even if your student is an adult, you still create a parent account and they create a student account. The FAFSA asks for parent financial information regardless of your student's age, unless they are married or have other special circumstances. Your student's account is linked to yours so you can both see the form.

Can I use the same email address for multiple students?

Yes, you can use one parent email address for all your children. You create one parent account and then add each student to it. Each student still needs their own separate account with their own email and password.

What if I do not have a Social Security number?

If you are a non-citizen parent, you can still create a FAFSA account and fill out the form. You will enter an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) instead of a Social Security number. Your student must have a Social Security number or valid ITIN to be included on the FAFSA.

Can I start the FAFSA before my student has been admitted to a college?

Yes. You can create your account and fill out the FAFSA as soon as you have the required information. You do not need to wait for college admissions decisions. You can add colleges to the form later, or change the list of colleges anytime before you submit.