Does an Associate Degree count as "completed college" on FAFSA parent education question?

pretty sure associates counts as college. my parents both have associate degrees and i marked "completed college" on my fafsa last year and never had any issues

According to the official FAFSA guidelines, an Associate degree DOES count as completing college for the parent education question. The question is asking about any college degree completion, not specifically a bachelor's degree. So for your mom, you would select "completed college" and for your dad, you would select that he did not complete college. This information is used for demographic purposes and potentially for determining your eligibility for certain first-generation college student scholarships, but it doesn't directly impact your SAI calculation for federal aid.

OMG I think I answered this wrong on mine!!! I said my mom didn't complete college because she has an associates degree and I thought it had to be a bachelors!!! Will this mess up my financial aid???? Should I correct my FAFSA now???

Honestly the whole FAFSA system is so frustrating with unclear questions like this. I spent HOURS on mine trying to figure out exactly what they meant by questions like this. Would it kill them to add a little more explanation about what counts? And then they wonder why completion rates are low. SMH.

I work in a college financial aid office, and I can confirm that an Associate degree absolutely counts as "completed college" for FAFSA purposes. For your situation, you would mark that your mother completed college and your father did not. This question is used partly for demographic information but also helps identify potential first-generation college students. First-generation status is typically defined as neither parent having completed a 4-year degree, so depending on your school's specific definition, you might still qualify for first-generation student support services even if you mark that your mother completed college with her Associate's degree. If you're having trouble getting through to FSA on the phone to confirm any details, I've had students use Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected to an agent faster. They have a video demo here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. It's been helpful for students with urgent verification issues.

My dad has like 90 credits but never got his degree bc he dropped out senior year. I put that he didn't complete college. Wonder if that was right?

btw the new FAFSA is way more confusing than the old one imo. all these questions about contributors and all the extra verification steps. took me like 5 hours to finish mine with all the tax document lookups!

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I'm going to mark my mom as "completed college" with her Associate's and my dad as "did not complete college." Now I just need to figure out this whole Selective Service registration question for my brother who's also applying...

As someone who just went through this same confusion last month, I can confirm that Associate degrees definitely count as "completed college" on the FAFSA! I was in the exact same boat - my mom has an Associate's in Business Administration and my dad has a high school diploma. I called the Federal Student Aid helpline to double-check (after reading conflicting info online) and they confirmed that ANY college degree, including Associate's, counts as completing college for that question. The key thing to remember is that this question is asking about degree completion, not level of degree. So mark your mom as completed college and your dad as did not complete college. You've got this!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who made this mistake initially! I marked my mom as "did not complete college" even though she has an Associate's in Early Childhood Education because I thought it had to be a bachelor's degree. When I realized my error during verification, I had to submit a correction. The good news is that it was super easy to fix online through studentaid.gov - just logged in, selected "Make FAFSA Corrections," and updated the parent education info. The whole process took maybe 10 minutes. So if anyone else made the same mistake, don't panic! Just fix it as soon as you can. Better to correct it now than deal with potential issues later during verification.

This thread has been super helpful! I'm a financial aid counselor at a community college and see this confusion ALL the time. Just to add some additional clarity - the FAFSA parent education question specifically asks "What is the highest level of school your parent has completed?" and the options include "College or beyond" which encompasses ALL postsecondary degrees including certificates, Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's, etc. So yes, Associate's degree = completed college, no question about it! One thing I always tell students is that if you're ever unsure about ANY FAFSA question, the Federal Student Aid website has really detailed help text for each question. You can also check out their FAFSA completion guide which has screenshots and explanations. Don't let these tricky wordings stress you out - when in doubt, there are resources to help clarify!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My mom has an Associate's in Medical Assisting and I was so confused about whether to mark "completed college" or not. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially hearing from the financial aid professionals who deal with this daily. It's reassuring to know that Associate degrees definitely count as completing college for FAFSA purposes. I was overthinking it way too much! Now I feel confident marking my mom as "completed college" when I submit my FAFSA this weekend. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and expertise!

This is such a common source of confusion! I just went through this with my own FAFSA and had the same worry. My mom has an Associate's in Nursing too, and after reading through multiple sources and calling the FSA helpline, I can confirm that Associate degrees absolutely count as "completed college." The way I think about it now is that the question is asking whether your parent completed any college degree program - not specifically asking about bachelor's degrees. Your mom earned a degree from a college, so that's completion! Don't stress about it affecting your aid eligibility either - this question is mainly used for demographic purposes and identifying first-generation college students. You're doing great by double-checking before submitting!

I'm a first-year student who just completed my FAFSA last week and ran into this exact same question! My situation is a bit different - my dad has an Associate's in Automotive Technology and my mom has a bachelor's degree. I initially marked both as "completed college" but then started second-guessing myself about whether trade-focused Associate degrees counted the same way. After reading through all these responses, I'm confident I answered correctly! It's so helpful to see everyone's experiences and especially the input from financial aid professionals. One thing I learned that might help others - when I was unsure, I took screenshots of my answers before submitting so I could easily reference what I put if I needed to make corrections later. The FAFSA can definitely be overwhelming, but threads like this make it so much less scary!

This thread is so incredibly helpful! I'm currently filling out my FAFSA and was literally googling this exact question when I found this discussion. My mom has an Associate's in Dental Hygiene and I was completely unsure whether that counted as "completed college." Reading all these responses from students who've been through this AND financial aid professionals has given me so much confidence. It's clear that ANY Associate degree counts as completing college for FAFSA purposes. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to share their experiences - it makes such a difference for those of us navigating this process for the first time. I'm bookmarking this thread in case I have other FAFSA questions come up! Thanks to everyone who contributed their knowledge and experiences.

This has been such an informative thread! I'm helping my younger sister with her FAFSA and we had the exact same question about our mom's Associate's in Respiratory Therapy. After reading through everyone's experiences and the advice from the financial aid professionals, it's crystal clear that Associate degrees count as "completed college" - period! What I love about this discussion is how it shows that so many of us have the same worries and questions, but there's always someone willing to help clarify things. Special thanks to the financial aid counselors who took time to share their professional insights. It really makes a difference having experts confirm what students have experienced firsthand. For anyone still unsure: if your parent earned ANY degree from a college (Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, etc.), that's "completed college" on the FAFSA!

As someone who just finished helping my twin brother with his FAFSA last month, I can definitely confirm what everyone else is saying - Associate degrees absolutely count as "completed college"! We had the same confusion because our mom has an Associate's in Paralegal Studies. I actually called three different financial aid offices to triple-check because I'm naturally paranoid about these things, and every single one confirmed that ANY college degree (Associates, Bachelors, Masters, etc.) counts as "completed college" for that question. The key word is "degree" - if your parent earned a degree from an accredited college, that's completion! Don't overthink it like I did. Your mom's Associate's in Nursing definitely qualifies, so mark her as "completed college" and your dad as "did not complete college." You're being smart by double-checking this stuff before submitting!

This thread has been incredibly reassuring! I'm a parent helping my daughter with her FAFSA and I have an Associate's in Early Childhood Education from about 15 years ago. I was honestly second-guessing whether my degree "counted" since it's been so long and it's "just" an Associate's degree. Reading all these responses from current students, financial aid professionals, and other parents has completely cleared up my confusion. An Associate's degree is absolutely a college degree - the timeframe doesn't matter and the level doesn't diminish that fact! It's so helpful to see this community supporting each other through these confusing FAFSA questions. My daughter can confidently mark that I "completed college" and we can move forward with the rest of the application. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and expertise!

I just want to echo what everyone else has said - this thread has been absolutely amazing! I'm currently working on my FAFSA and had the exact same question about my mom's Associate's in Medical Office Administration. I was literally losing sleep over whether I was going to mess up my financial aid by answering this wrong! Reading through all these real experiences from students who've been in the same situation, plus the professional insights from financial aid counselors, has completely put my mind at ease. It's so clear now that ANY Associate degree counts as "completed college" - no exceptions, no qualifications needed. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their knowledge and experiences. This community is incredible and makes navigating the FAFSA so much less stressful!

I'm so relieved to find this thread! I'm filling out my FAFSA right now and was completely stuck on this same question. My mom has an Associate's in Graphic Design and I've been sitting here for like an hour trying to figure out if that counts as "completed college" or not. Reading through everyone's experiences and especially the explanations from the financial aid professionals has made it crystal clear - ANY college degree, including Associate's, counts as completing college for FAFSA purposes! It doesn't matter what field the degree is in or when it was earned. I was way overthinking this question and stressing myself out for no reason. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and making this so much clearer for those of us doing this for the first time. This community is amazing!