FAFSA confusion: Do I submit or do my twins submit their own applications?

Omg I have twins too!!! Just went through this last year. So each kid needs their OWN separate FAFSA application, but you'll be filling most of it out as the parent. Even though their 18 their still considered dependents unless they meet some crazy specific requirements (like being married or in the military). The good news is the FAFSA now has this thing where you can transfer parent info from one kids application to the other so you dont have to retype all your tax info twice!

i was in the exact same situation!!! twins are expensive lol. one thing nobody tells u is that having multiple kids in college at the same time actually HELPS your financial aid. the system takes that into account and usually gives more aid when multiple kids are enrolled. def mention this anywhere u can on supplemental forms

Let me clarify the process for you: 1. Each student needs their own FAFSA application with their own FSA ID 2. You (the parent) also need your own FSA ID to contribute to their applications 3. Each student initiates their own FAFSA, but you'll complete the financial portion 4. The 2025-2026 FAFSA uses the Student Aid Index (SAI) rather than the old EFC calculation 5. Having multiple dependent students in college simultaneously will be factored into your SAI Beyond FAFSA, I recommend: - Having your students complete the CSS Profile if applying to private colleges - Looking into twin-specific scholarships (they do exist!) - Checking with each college about their institutional aid policies for families with multiple enrolled students - Exploring Parent PLUS loans as a last resort Make sure each twin lists every college they're considering on their FAFSA. You can list up to 20 schools now.

trust me, as a single mom you'll qualify for tons of aid! my kid got a full ride and we didn't even have to pay anything. just make sure you list your status as "single parent household" and you'll get all the money!!!

I just went through this nightmare with my triplets (!!!) and spent HOURS trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid to answer my questions. Every time I called I got stuck on hold forever or got disconnected. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that held my place in the phone queue and called me back when an agent was available. Saved me literally hours of wait time and I got all my questions answered in one call. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ As for your question - yes, each of your twins needs their own separate FAFSA application with their own FSA ID, and you need your own FSA ID too. The good news is that the new FAFSA allows you to transfer parent information between applications, which saves a ton of time.

dont listn to what evreyone says about each kid needing separate fasfa!!! i did ONE application for both my kids and it worked fine!!!! saved so much time

To directly answer your questions: 1. Each of your twins needs their own separate FAFSA application 2. Each twin needs their own FSA ID 3. You also need your own FSA ID as their parent 4. You will help complete both applications, providing your financial information on each 5. The new FAFSA allows parent information to be transferred between applications Regarding additional aid options: - Check if your state has a separate state aid application - Look into scholarships specifically for twins (The Twin Days Festival Scholarship, Twins Days Festival Scholarships, etc.) - Many colleges offer sibling discounts when multiple children attend simultaneously - Some institutions automatically increase aid for families with multiple enrolled students - The CSS Profile (required by many private colleges) allows for more detailed financial information than FAFSA I recommend starting by creating your FSA ID at studentaid.gov, then helping each twin create their own. The application will walk you through the process step by step.

As someone who just went through this exact process with my own twins last year, I can definitely relate to the overwhelm! Here's what I wish someone had told me earlier: Yes, each twin absolutely needs their own separate FAFSA application - there's no way around this. But the good news is that once you complete the first one, the second is much faster because you can transfer all the parent financial information over. A few practical tips that saved me time and stress: - Set up all three FSA IDs (yours and both twins) at least a week before you plan to start applications - Use different email addresses for each FSA ID - Complete one twin's FAFSA first completely, then immediately do the second while everything is fresh in your mind - Take screenshots of confirmation pages - you'll want these for your records For the financial aid piece with twins, you're actually in a better position than parents with just one college student! The system does factor in having multiple kids in college simultaneously, which typically results in a lower Student Aid Index (SAI) and potentially more aid. Don't stress too much about being "behind" - while October 1st is when applications open, the real deadlines are usually much later (often in March or June). You still have plenty of time to maximize your aid opportunities!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm in a very similar situation with my twins who are also graduating this spring. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. One thing I wanted to add that I learned recently - make sure to check if your twins' prospective colleges participate in something called "Professional Judgment" reviews. This allows financial aid officers to make adjustments to your aid package based on special circumstances like having multiple children in college, recent job loss, or other financial hardships. As a single parent, this could potentially help you get additional aid beyond what the standard FAFSA calculation provides. Also, I've been researching state-specific programs and found that many states have additional grants for residents attending in-state colleges. Some of these have separate applications with earlier deadlines than FAFSA, so it's worth checking your state's higher education website. The information about twin-specific scholarships was news to me too - I had no idea those existed! Does anyone know of a good database or website that lists these specialty scholarships? I've been using general scholarship search engines but haven't come across any twin-specific ones yet. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences. It really helps to know we're not alone in navigating this process!

As a parent who just went through the FAFSA process with twins myself, I completely understand your confusion! The whole system feels overwhelming at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's actually pretty straightforward. Everyone here is correct - each twin needs their own separate FAFSA application, but you'll be providing the parent information for both. The key is getting all your FSA IDs set up first (you need one, and each twin needs their own). Make sure you use different email addresses for each FSA ID. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet with all the financial information I'd need (tax returns, bank statements, investment info, etc.) before starting either application. That way I wasn't scrambling to find documents in the middle of the process. For the twin-specific aid, definitely look into your state's grant programs too. Many states have additional funding that stacks on top of federal aid, and some even have specific provisions for families with multiple college students. Also, when your twins are talking to college admissions counselors, make sure they mention having a twin sibling also attending college - sometimes schools will coordinate to offer better aid packages when they know about the family situation. You're not behind at all - many schools accept FAFSA applications well into the spring, so you still have plenty of time to get everything submitted properly!