FAFSA parent accounts - do both married parents need FSA IDs when filing jointly?

both parents need fsaid accounts! my wife and i had to create separate ones last year. doesn't matter who's primary on taxes

Thanks for the quick answer! So even though we file jointly, we each need our own FSA ID? That seems redundant, but I guess I'll tell my husband to create his account too.

Yes, BOTH married parents need to create their own FSA ID accounts. This is regardless of how you file taxes (jointly or separately). The FSA ID serves as your electronic signature, and since both parents' financial information is being reported on the FAFSA, both need their own account to sign electronically. Either parent can be the one who actually completes the FAFSA form, but both will need to sign it. The primary tax filer designation doesn't matter for FAFSA purposes - both parents are considered equally for the financial aid calculations under the new FAFSA Simplification Act.

Thank you for the detailed explanation. That makes sense about needing separate electronic signatures. Is there anything specific we need to coordinate between our accounts? Like do we need to link them somehow?

You don't need to link your FSA ID accounts, but you will need to coordinate completing the form. Whoever fills out the FAFSA will need both parents' personal information (SSN, DOB, etc.) and the non-filling parent will receive an email to electronically sign the FAFSA after it's completed. Just make sure both parents have access to the email addresses used for their FSA ID accounts, as verification codes are sent there.

I was SO CONFUSED about this last year!!! Spent 3 hours trying to figure it out. Yes, you both need FSA IDs. They should make this clearer!! My husband created his FSA ID but then never got the verification email and we had to start all over and almost missed the priority deadline. Make sure you both have access to the email accounts you use and check spam folders!!!!

Oh no, that sounds stressful! Thanks for the warning - I'll make sure we both set up our email access properly and check spam. Did you have any other unexpected hiccups I should watch out for?

just fyi the new fafsa is way different this year. joint filers still need 2 accounts but now they use whats called SAI instead of EFC. whole system changed

I've heard about the changes but didn't realize they impacted the account setup too. What's SAI? Is that better or worse than the old system?

SAI stands for Student Aid Index, which replaced the old Expected Family Contribution (EFC). It functions similarly but with some calculation changes that generally benefit middle-income families. The account setup process is largely the same - both parents still need FSA IDs - but the form itself is shorter and pulls more information directly from the IRS.

When I was helping my son with his FAFSA last October, I spent nearly 2 hours on hold trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid to sort out a similar parent account issue. We had created both accounts, but the system wasn't recognizing my husband's FSA ID during the signature process. I finally discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an agent in under 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. The agent confirmed both parents need their own FSA IDs and helped resolve our signature issue. Definitely worth knowing about if you run into technical problems with the parent accounts.

That's really helpful, thank you! I'm bookmarking that site just in case. With my luck, we'll probably run into some technical issue too.

I wish I knew about this last year!! The wait times were INSANE and I got disconnected twice after waiting over an hour each time! Going to use this for sure this year.

I went through this last year and I'm dealing with it again for my second child. Here's what caused us problems: when creating the FSA IDs, make absolutely certain that the personal information (name, DOB, SSN) EXACTLY matches what's on your Social Security cards and tax returns. Even a minor discrepancy like using

Thank you for the detailed advice! I'll make sure we use our legal names exactly as they appear on official documents. Does it matter which parent initiates the FAFSA? Or can either of us do it?

Either parent can initiate and complete the FAFSA - it doesn't matter which one. Just make sure whoever does it has access to all the required financial information for both parents. The system will prompt for the other parent's information and signature during the process.

my cousins husband didnt make a fsaid and they had to do a paper signature which delayed everything by like 6 weeks. definitely both make accounts!!

Yikes, I definitely don't want any delays! Thanks for sharing - we'll both create accounts asap.

One important thing no one mentioned yet - make sure you both write down your FSA ID usernames and passwords somewhere secure. You'll need them again next year and every year you have a child in college. I know so many parents who have to reset everything each year because they forgot their login info. And the reset process can be a pain.

Great tip! I'll create a secure note in our password manager for both accounts. We'll have two kids in college soon, so we'll definitely need to access these accounts multiple times.

my wife and i just did this last month. biggest headache was the irs data retrieval tool thing. both our names had to match EXACTLY or it wouldn't work

This is so true! My husband goes by his middle name, but we had to use his first name on the FSA ID because that's what's on his Social Security card and tax return. The IRS data retrieval tool is extremely picky about these details matching exactly.

To summarize the key points from this discussion for anyone else with the same question:\n\n1. Yes, BOTH parents in a married household need their own separate FSA ID accounts, regardless of tax filing status\n2. Either parent can initiate and complete the FAFSA, but both must sign it\n3. Each parent must use their own email address for their FSA ID\n4. All personal information must exactly match official documents and tax returns\n5. The new FAFSA uses the Student Aid Index (SAI) instead of the old EFC, but the parent account requirements remain the same\n6. Save your login credentials securely as you'll need them annually\n\nHope this helps everyone navigating the FAFSA process!

Thank you so much for this clear summary! This thread has been incredibly helpful. We're going to set up both our FSA IDs tonight and get started on the application this weekend.

As someone who just went through this process with my oldest, I can confirm everything mentioned here is spot on! One additional tip - when you create your FSA IDs, use email addresses you check regularly. The system sends important notifications and verification codes throughout the year, not just during FAFSA season. My husband created his with an old email he rarely checks and almost missed a verification deadline when we had to make corrections later. Also, don't panic if the process seems overwhelming at first - the new FAFSA really is much simpler than the old version once you get both parent accounts set up properly!

As a newcomer to this whole FAFSA process, this thread has been a lifesaver! My spouse and I were literally about to create just one FSA ID thinking we could share it since we file jointly. Thank you everyone for clarifying that we BOTH need separate accounts. One quick follow-up question - is there a recommended order for creating the accounts? Should one parent create theirs first, or can we both do it simultaneously without any issues?