FAFSA parent section: Does it matter which parent completes it if we're married?
I'm trying to get everything prepared for when FAFSA opens for 2025-2026. If I understand correctly, my daughter completes her portion first, then sends a link for me (parent) to complete my section. Since my husband and I are married, does it matter which of us fills out the parent section? He works full-time while I'm not currently employed. Would having the working parent complete it affect our daughter's aid eligibility? Also, I've heard my daughter should create her FSA ID account now before the application opens. Is this true? And should I (or my husband) also create our FSA ID ahead of time? Just trying to make the process smooth when the application finally opens!
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Tyler Murphy
it doesnt matter which parent fills it out if ur married. the form asks for both parents income anyway so theyll see both. my kid just did hers and i did the parent part last week, they want all household income no matter who actually does the clicking
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Alana Willis
•Thank you! That's a relief. I wasn't sure if the system treated the parent completing the form differently than the spouse.
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Sara Unger
As a college financial aid advisor, I can confirm that for married parents, it doesn't matter which parent completes the form. The FAFSA will collect information from both parents in the household regardless of which parent actually fills out the parent section. Since both your incomes (or lack thereof) will be reported, the calculated Student Aid Index (SAI) will be the same regardless of which parent completes the form. The system looks at total household income and assets for married couples. And yes, I HIGHLY recommend creating FSA IDs for both your daughter and at least one parent now, before the application opens. This can save a lot of time and stress since the ID verification process sometimes takes a few days. Both the student and contributing parent need separate FSA IDs to sign the FAFSA.
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Alana Willis
•Thanks for such a clear explanation! I'll get both our FSA IDs set up this weekend. Do both parents need an FSA ID, or just the one completing the form?
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Sara Unger
•Only the parent who will actually be signing the FAFSA needs an FSA ID. If you're the one who'll be completing the parent section, then you should create an FSA ID. Your husband wouldn't need one unless he plans to sign the form instead of you. Just make sure you don't accidentally create your FSA ID under your daughter's information - a common mistake I see families make!
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Butch Sledgehammer
make sure your daughter uses an email that she actually checks regularly!!! my son used his high school email for his FSA ID and then couldn't access it after graduation when we needed to make corrections. total nightmare
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Alana Willis
•Oh gosh, that's a great tip. She has a habit of creating new email addresses and then forgetting them. I'll make sure she uses her main personal email for this!
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Freya Ross
Something important to understand: while it doesn't matter which parent fills out the form if you're married, the FAFSA now uses what they call the "Student Aid Index" (SAI) instead of the old EFC. The new formula looks at both parents' income if married. One practical tip: When you're setting up your FSA ID, use different email addresses for yourself and your daughter. The system won't let you use the same email for multiple IDs. Also, write down your FSA ID info somewhere secure - many parents forget their username/password combination between years. Regarding timing - yes, creating FSA IDs now is smart. The actual FAFSA application for 2025-2026 should open December 1st according to the Department of Education's schedule, though last year it was delayed until January. Having your IDs ready will put you ahead of the game.
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Leslie Parker
•Wait I thought they were still using EFC? What's this SAI thing? Does that change how much we'll end up paying?
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Freya Ross
•The SAI (Student Aid Index) replaced the EFC (Expected Family Contribution) in 2023. It's a similar concept but uses a somewhat different calculation method. The name was changed partly because many families misunderstood what EFC meant - it wasn't necessarily what you'd actually pay. The SAI still measures your family's financial strength and helps determine aid eligibility. Lower SAI = more need-based aid potential. The calculation includes income, some assets, family size, and how many kids are in college simultaneously.
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Sergio Neal
My daughter and I both tried making our FSA IDs last year and the identity verification process was a NIGHTMARE. They couldn't verify me for some reason and I spent 3 WEEKS calling that stupid number trying to get through to fix it. Always busy or disconnected. Almost missed her school's priority deadline because of it.
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Savanna Franklin
•I had the same awful experience trying to reach FSA for verification issues! After 20+ attempts and waiting on hold for hours, I discovered Claimyr.com which got me through to an agent in about 15 minutes. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Made the whole process much less stressful when we were facing that verification deadline for my son's FAFSA. Definitely worth it if you run into those phone issues again next time.
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Sergio Neal
•OMG thank you for this! Bookmarking for when we inevitably have problems again this year lol
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Tyler Murphy
just fyi they ask for a bunch of tax info so have ur husbands w-2 and tax return ready when u sit down to do it. i had to stop halfway through cause i didnt have all the stuff they wanted
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Alana Willis
•Good to know! I'll have all our tax documents ready to go. Do they want just the 1040 or all the supporting schedules too?
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Tyler Murphy
•they mostly just wanted the main 1040 numbers but i think there were a couple questions from the schedules too if u have those. better to have everything just in case
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Leslie Parker
The FAFSA is so confusing!!! I did mine last year and got all the way to the end and then realized I entered my income wrong and had to start all over! And then they selected me for verification and I had to send in even MORE forms. Make sure you double-check EVERYTHING before submitting.
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Alana Willis
•Oh no, that sounds stressful! I'll definitely double-check everything. Was the verification process difficult to complete?
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Leslie Parker
•It was a HUGE pain! They wanted copies of our tax transcripts which we had to order from the IRS (takes forever) and then my daughter's school wanted additional forms they created themselves. The whole process took months to resolve. Just be super careful with the initial application and hopefully you won't get selected!
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Freya Ross
Update: I just checked the Federal Student Aid website, and they've announced the 2025-2026 FAFSA is scheduled to open on December 1, 2024. So you have about a month to get those FSA IDs created and confirmed. Also, keep in mind that many schools have priority filing deadlines (often in February or March) for maximum financial aid consideration. Even though the federal deadline is much later, meeting your specific colleges' priority deadlines is crucial for institutional aid opportunities.
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Alana Willis
•Thank you for checking! I'll make sure we submit well before any priority deadlines. Do schools typically list those deadlines on their financial aid websites?
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Freya Ross
•Yes, most schools list their priority filing deadlines on their financial aid websites. They usually range from early February to mid-March, but some competitive schools have even earlier deadlines. I'd recommend checking the specific deadlines for each school your daughter is applying to and aiming to submit at least a week before the earliest one.
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Diego Ramirez
As someone who just went through this process with my oldest, I wanted to add that you should also check if your state has any additional financial aid programs that require the FAFSA. Some states have their own grant programs with even earlier deadlines than the federal one. For example, my state's need-based grant required FAFSA completion by February 1st for maximum consideration. Also, when you're gathering tax documents, don't forget about any 1099s if either of you had any freelance work or investment income - I almost missed including those and had to go back and correct our application. Good luck with the process!
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Alberto Souchard
•This is such helpful advice, thank you! I hadn't thought about state aid programs having different deadlines. I'll check our state's website to see what additional programs might be available. The reminder about 1099s is really valuable too - my husband did some consulting work last year so we'll need to make sure we include that income. It's reassuring to hear from someone who just went through this successfully!
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