Necessary FAFSA Materials: What You Need to Apply

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is the primary way that students can apply for financial aid. This includes need-based financial aid that encompasses grants, student loans and work study. However, this also includes aid that isn’t need-based as the  FAFSA is also a required part of the scholarship application process for some colleges, states, and scholarship organizations. 

One of the best ways to simplify the FAFSA process is by getting organized beforehand. First, and most importantly, students will want to create their Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID). To create your FSA ID, you will need your social security number (if you have one) and a personal email address. Once this is complete, students will want to have some additional materials on-hand to answer all of the questions. The specific materials that students need will depend upon whether the student is a dependent or an independent student.

Additionally, if you are looking for even more help when filling out your FAFSA, you can check out our FAFSA 101 Guide which will guide you every step of the way.

Necessary FAFSA materials for dependent students

If you are a dependent student, here is a checklist of the necessary materials you’ll need to complete the FAFSA:

• An FSA ID
• Your Social Security Card
• Your A-Number  (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
• Your W-2 Federal Tax Return (if you filed)
• Records of your untaxed income (if you have any)
• Records of net worth, investments, businesses, and farms
• Current balance of cash, savings, and checking accounts (if you have any bank accounts)

If you are a dependent student, you will also need the following information from your parents:

• Your parents’ email address (the one that they will have used to create their own FSA ID)
• Your parents’ Social Security numbers
• Your parents’ 1040 Form and W-2 Federal Tax Returns
• Your parents’ records of any untaxed income
• Your parents’ current balance of cash, checking and savings accounts
• Your parents’ investment and business financial records
• Your parents’ records of child support (if applicable)

Expert Perspective

You should always, always fill out the FAFSA. If you don’t fill out the FAFSA, you’re basically telling the schools you apply to that you don’t need any money. Without the FAFSA, you can’t appeal a financial aid offer. Some schools even require the FAFSA for merit-based scholarships, so even if you are high-income, you might be losing out on an opportunity for free financial aid. Finally, you need to fill out the FAFSA to get access to federal loans. These loans are available to all students, regardless of how high your parents’ income may be.

Jack Wang | Wealth Advisor, Innovative Advisory Group

See also: Which parent should I use on the FAFSA?

Necessary FAFSA materials for independent students

If you are an independent student, here’s a checklist of the necessary materials and documents that you’ll need:

• Your Social Security Card
• Your A-Number  (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
• Your W-2 Federal Tax Return
• Records of any untaxed income
• Current balances of cash, checking and savings accounts 

Note that if you are married, you will need information from your spouse including Social Security Number and tax information. If your spouse is considered a contributor, they will need to make their own StudentAid.gov account.

Once you have your FSA ID and gather these necessary materials, you can start to answer the questions on the FAFSA. Please also note that you should never mail any of these documents to the Office of Federal Student Aid.

Next Steps

• Create your FSA ID (note: it can take 1 to 3 business days for your account to be verified, so it’s a good idea to do this before you intend to complete the FAFSA)
• Gather all the necessary materials you need to fill out the FAFSA before beginning
• Check out the Scholarships360 FAFSA Guide to walk you through every step of the FAFSA
• Remember, you may need to submit other applications such as the CSS profile as well to be considered for other forms of financial aid from your school
• Make sure you don’t miss any dates for when your FAFSA is due, as missing the deadline can have serious consequences
• Finally, continue or start applying for all the scholarships you are eligible for!

Frequently asked questions about necessary FAFSA materials