Can I copy FAFSA information from one child to another without starting over?

Yes! There's a feature specifically for this situation. When you start a new FAFSA application for your second child, there should be an option during the parent section called "Transfer My Information" that lets you pull in data from your first child's FAFSA. You'll need to have your FSA ID ready, and both applications must be for the same academic year (2025-2026). This will copy over all the parent/household/financial information, but you'll still need to complete student-specific sections for your second child. Look for it after you get through the initial student demographic information.

its actually easyer than that, when u log in with ur FSA ID and start the new application, theres a checkbox something like "use data from previous FAFSA" right on the early screens. just make sure ur using same parent FSA ID u used for first kid. saved me tons of time when i did my twins apps last month

I tried doing this last year and it was a COMPLETE DISASTER!!! The system pulled over the wrong tax information and then when I tried to correct it, my application got flagged for verification!! I ended up having to submit like 20 documents and it delayed my son's financial aid package by over a month. The college financial aid office told me they're seeing TONS of problems with the transfer function. Honestly, I'd just fill it out from scratch to avoid the headache.

When I tried submitting FAFSAs for my kids this year, I kept getting disconnected from the studentaid.gov website whenever I tried accessing that transfer feature. After spending HOURS trying to get it to work, I found Claimyr (claimyr.com) which helped me get through to an actual FAFSA agent on the phone without the usual 2+ hour wait. They walked me through how to properly transfer the information between applications. They have a quick video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how the service works. Seriously saved me so much frustration!

I just went through this process for my 3 kids attending college next year (triplets, pray for my bank account lol). Here's exactly what you need to do step-by-step: 1. Log in with YOUR parent FSA ID (not your child's) 2. Start a new FAFSA for child #2 3. Complete the student demographic section 4. When you reach the parent section, look for "Transfer My Information" button 5. Confirm your FSA ID again 6. Select the previous FAFSA that has your completed info One IMPORTANT thing - make sure your first child's FAFSA is fully PROCESSED before trying this. If the first one is still pending or has errors, the transfer might not work correctly.

Just a quick correction to what some others have said - the "Transfer My Information" feature works, but it's not perfect. After transfer, you MUST review every section carefully. Pay special attention to: - Household size (may need updating) - Number in college (will definitely need updating) - Any tax information that might have changed Also, this doesn't transfer any student-specific information, so you'll still need to complete those sections from scratch.

Keep in mind that while the transfer feature is helpful, your SAI (Student Aid Index) will likely be different for each child depending on their individual circumstances. The transferred information only covers parent/household data, not student-specific elements like their income, assets, or special circumstances. Also, if your children will be attending different schools, remember that even with the same SAI, their financial aid packages could vary dramatically based on each institution's funding and policies.

Anyone else notice how the FAFSA system always seems designed to make things as DIFFICULT as possible for parents with multiple kids in college?? Like they couldn't just have a simple "copy all family info" button that actually WORKS?? I had to call FOUR TIMES last year when the transfer feature messed up my applications. And don't even get me started on how they calculated our SAI - somehow we qualified for LESS aid with two kids in college than with one!!

As someone who just went through this process with my twins last month, I can confirm the "Transfer My Information" feature does work, but here's what I learned the hard way: Make sure you're logged in with the PARENT FSA ID when you start the second application, not your child's. I initially tried starting with my second child's FSA ID and couldn't find the transfer option anywhere. Once I switched to my parent account and started fresh, the transfer button appeared right after completing the student demographic section. Also, budget extra time to review everything after the transfer - I found a few fields that didn't populate correctly and had to fix them manually. The feature definitely saved me time overall, but it's not completely foolproof. Good luck with your second application!

I went through this exact same situation two months ago with my second child! The "Transfer My Information" feature is a lifesaver, but here's what nobody mentioned - make sure your first child's FAFSA shows "Processed" status before attempting the transfer. I tried to do it while the first application was still showing "Submitted" and the transfer kept failing with generic error messages. Once I waited for full processing (took about 5 days), the transfer worked perfectly. Also, double-check the "number of family members in college" field after transfer - mine defaulted to 1 instead of updating to 2, which would have significantly impacted our SAI calculation. The whole process took me about 45 minutes instead of the 3+ hours for the first application, so it's definitely worth using!

Just wanted to add another tip that saved me headaches - after you successfully transfer the information, take a screenshot of each completed section before hitting submit! I learned this the hard way when my internet connection dropped during submission and I lost some of the transferred data. Had to re-enter everything manually. Also, if you run into technical issues with the transfer feature (which seems pretty common based on these comments), try using a different browser or clearing your cache. I had issues with Chrome but it worked perfectly in Firefox. The transfer feature isn't perfect, but when it works correctly it's such a time-saver. Good luck with your second application - you've got this!