Do students create their own FAFSA profile or use parents' account? Planning for 2025-2026

Your daughter absolutely needs to create her own FSA ID separate from yours. The student and parent each need their own unique FSA ID. This is a significant change in the new FAFSA process. The student creates their profile first, then adds contributors (like parents) who create their own FSA IDs. Each person needs their own email address and phone number for the verification process. I recommend creating these accounts about 1-2 months before you plan to submit the FAFSA to ensure everything is verified properly before the submission rush.

Literally just went through this with my son. SO confusing!! Everyone needs thier own FSA ID - student, mom, dad if he's contributing. Its annoying but that's how they verify everyones identity separately. They ask for social security #s and everything.

Just to provide a completely accurate explanation: The student initiates the FAFSA by creating their own FSA ID on studentaid.gov. During the application process, the student will identify their contributors (usually parents), who will then receive an email invitation to create their own FSA IDs if they don't already have one. Each person needs their own email address, phone number, and social security number. The system follows this workflow: 1. Student creates FSA ID and starts application 2. Student enters basic demographic information 3. Student identifies contributors 4. Contributors receive notifications to complete their sections 5. Each contributor needs their own FSA ID to access and complete their section 6. After all required sections are complete, the student can review and submit This enables proper identity verification while protecting everyone's privacy. I recommend starting this process in September or October for the 2025-2026 application cycle.

I tried helping my nephew with this last month and the whole system is a disaster. We spent HOURS trying to get through to someone at FSA when his account got stuck in some verification loop. Couldn't get anyone on the phone for THREE DAYS. Finally I used Claimyr.com to get through to an actual human at FSA in about 8 minutes. They have this video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Wasn't expecting it to actually work but it did. The agent was able to fix the verification issue right away. Definitely worth knowing about before you start this process - sometimes you just need to talk to an actual human.

just wanna add that creating the FSA ID can sometimes take time to verify. my daughter's took 3 days to fully verify with SSA last year. don't wait until last minute!!

Everyone here is giving good advice but actually missing a CRUCIAL detail - the new FAFSA is totally different from previous years!!!! The student HAS to create their own profile and FSA ID first, then the student (NOT THE PARENT) has to initiate the FAFSA form! Then the student adds the parent as a "contributor" - the parent CANNOT start the FAFSA anymore like in previous years. This is a MASSIVE change that caused huge problems this past cycle. I work at a college and saw so many families mess this up. The student MUST start the process now. Many parents tried to complete it themselves and either couldn't proceed or worse - submitted incomplete applications that had to be redone. Also important: the student and ALL contributors need their own individual FSA IDs, emails, and phone numbers. No sharing!

my parents tried to do mine for me this year and it was a MESS. dont do it! i had to make my own fsa id and then start over cause they couldnt even access my application. wasted like 2 weeks figuring it out

Just to follow up on my earlier comment - another advantage of having your daughter create her own FSA ID and manage the process is that it helps prepare her for managing her own financial aid throughout college. She'll need to use that same FSA ID for loan counseling, checking aid status, and potentially applying for federal student loans. It's a good opportunity for her to take ownership while you still provide guidance. And remember, even though she initiates the process, you'll have complete privacy for your financial information. She won't see your detailed financial responses - just the calculated aid eligibility after submission.

As someone who just went through this process with my twin daughters, I want to emphasize how important it is to start early and be patient with the system. We began creating their FSA IDs in September, which was smart because one daughter's account took over a week to verify due to some SSN mismatch that required manual review. One tip I haven't seen mentioned: make sure your daughter uses an email she'll have access to throughout college, not a high school email that might expire. Also, write down all login credentials somewhere safe - she'll need that FSA ID for years to come for loan management and renewal FAFSAs. The new system is definitely more student-centric, but honestly once you get past the initial setup confusion, it's actually more intuitive than the old version. Your daughter will do great - just give yourselves plenty of time and don't stress if there are technical hiccups along the way!

I went through this exact process with my son last year and can confirm everything others have said about the student needing their own FSA ID. One thing I'd add is to make sure your daughter has all her documents ready before starting - Social Security card, driver's license, and any tax documents you'll need. The verification process cross-references everything, so having inconsistent information (even something as simple as using a nickname vs. full legal name) can cause delays. Also, don't panic if the system seems slow or glitchy - we had to restart the application twice due to timeouts, but all our information was saved. The new FAFSA saves your progress automatically, which is actually a huge improvement from the old system where you could lose everything if you got kicked out. Start in October 2025 for the best experience before the rush begins!