Do parents need separate FSA IDs for each child on FAFSA 2025-26?

You DON'T need separate FSA IDs for each child! Each person (you, your spouse, and each child) only needs ONE FSA ID ever. Your FSA ID is tied to your SSN, not to a specific application. Each of your children will need their own FSA ID though, since they're the actual applicants. Just use the same parent FSA IDs you created for your older child when helping your younger one apply.

each kid needs there own ID but parents only need 1 ID per parent. its tied to your social security #. I have 3 in collge and use the same ID for all of them!

Financial aid advisor here: Just to clarify what others have said - FSA IDs are permanently linked to an individual's Social Security Number. Each person (student or parent) only needs ONE FSA ID for life. This means: 1. Each parent needs ONE FSA ID (which you already have) 2. Each student needs their OWN unique FSA ID 3. You'll use the same parent FSA IDs to sign FAFSA applications for both children When you log in, you'll select which student you're completing the form for. The system will recognize your FSA ID as a parent contributor regardless of which student's application you're working on. Just make sure each child creates their own FSA ID (they cannot share).

You'll need to indicate on each child's FAFSA that you have multiple children in college. There's a specific question about number of family members attending college. Make sure you enter "2" for the 2025-26 forms for both children. This is important because having multiple students in college can significantly lower your SAI (Student Aid Index, formerly EFC) and potentially increase aid eligibility.

The person above is incorrect - starting with 2024-25 FAFSA and continuing for 2025-26, the FAFSA Simplification Act eliminated the advantage of having multiple students in college. The SAI calculation no longer divides by the number of college students in the household. You still report the number of students, but it doesn't directly reduce your SAI like it used to with the old EFC formula. This change has been brutal for many families with multiple students.

If you're struggling to get answers about the multiple students issue, you might want to try calling Federal Student Aid directly. I spent HOURS trying to get through their phone system last month and kept getting disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual FSA agent in less than 20 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. The agent I spoke with confirmed the multiple student discount is gone but gave me some valuable advice about other options.

While the FAFSA no longer gives the multi-student discount, don't forget that the CSS Profile (used by many private colleges) DOES still consider multiple students in their institutional methodology. So if either of your kids is applying to private schools that use CSS Profile, you might still see some benefit there. Also, don't forget to look into sibling discounts - some colleges offer them separately from federal aid calculations.

To clarify about multiple students: Yes, the federal methodology (FAFSA/SAI) no longer divides by number of college students. But: 1. CSS Profile (for many private colleges) still considers multiple students 2. Some colleges offer sibling discounts - check their financial aid websites 3. Some state aid programs still factor in multiple students For the original question about FSA IDs: Each parent only needs one FSA ID total, so use your existing ones for both children. Each child needs their own unique FSA ID.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact situation last year! We had the same confusion about FSA IDs when our second child started college. What helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track who had which FSA ID - it sounds silly but with all the financial aid deadlines and forms, it's easy to get mixed up. Also, since you mentioned you'll have two in college simultaneously, make sure to submit both FAFSA applications around the same time if possible. Some schools have limited aid budgets and it's first-come-first-served, so getting both kids' applications in early can be crucial even though the multi-student discount is gone. Good luck with the process - it's definitely overwhelming but you've got this!

As someone who works in financial aid at a state university, I can confirm everything that's been shared here about FSA IDs - one per person for life, tied to your SSN. But I wanted to add something important that hasn't been mentioned yet: when you're completing the FAFSA for your second child, make sure to double-check that all your tax and asset information is consistent between both applications. The Department of Education does cross-reference data between family members' applications, and any discrepancies can trigger verification requests or delays in processing. Also, even though the federal multi-student benefit is gone, don't forget to check if your state has any grant programs that still consider multiple students - some states haven't updated their formulas yet. Finally, if either child is considering a gap year or changing enrollment status, that could affect the other's aid eligibility, so plan carefully!