FAFSA parent section confusion - whose birth date goes where?
Hey everyone! First-time FAFSA filer here and I'm already stuck on what seems like a simple question. When filling out the parent information section, am I supposed to enter my child's date of birth or the parent's date of birth? The form isn't super clear and I don't want to mess up our application. My daughter is counting on this financial aid for her first year of college next fall. Thanks in advance for any help!
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Chloe Taylor
You put the PARENT'S date of birth in the parent section. Each section (student vs parent) requires the information of that specific person. The student section gets the student's DOB, and the parent section gets the parent's DOB. Hope that helps!
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Omar Hassan
•Thank you so much! That makes sense now that I think about it. I was overthinking because some of the other questions seemed to be asking about my daughter even though it was the parent section.
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ShadowHunter
its the parent's birthday!! i made that same mistake last year lol. the whole form is designed where student info goes in student section and parent info goes in parent section
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Omar Hassan
•Glad I'm not the only one who found it confusing! Thanks for confirming!
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Diego Ramirez
The parent section requires the parent's date of birth. Each section of the FAFSA corresponds to the person it's named for - student information in the student section, parent information in the parent section. This is actually a common point of confusion! Make sure you're also entering the correct Social Security Number in each section. Mixing those up can cause major processing delays with your Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation.
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Anastasia Sokolov
•Not the OP but thanks for clarifying about the SSNs too! I've been stressing about my daughter's FAFSA and worried about making mistakes. Do they cross-check the SSNs with birthdays to verify identity?
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Diego Ramirez
•Yes, they absolutely do cross-check SSNs with birthdates. The Federal Student Aid system matches this information with Social Security Administration records. If there's a mismatch, your application will be flagged and processing will be delayed until it's resolved. This is actually one of the most common reasons for FAFSA processing delays.
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Sean O'Connor
Same question I had when I first did this! It's the parent's birthdate. Everything in that section is about the parent (income, assets, etc).
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Zara Ahmed
I spent 45 minutes on hold with FAFSA last week for a different issue and when I finally got through, the line disconnected! So frustrating. I ended up using Claimyr.com to get through - they called and waited on hold for me then connected me to a live FAFSA agent. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent I spoke with said they get this birthday question all the time, and confirmed it should be the parent's DOB in the parent section.
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Omar Hassan
•Thanks for the tip! I'll keep that service in mind if I run into more complicated issues. Trying to avoid calling if possible, but good to know there's a solution for the ridiculous wait times.
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Luca Conti
Be VERY CAREFUL with this FAFSA stuff!! I put my own birthday instead of my son's in the STUDENT section last year (I was filling it out at 1am...) and our whole application got delayed by THREE WEEKS while they verified everything! Double check every single field before submitting.
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Omar Hassan
•Oh no! Thanks for the warning. I'll definitely double check everything before hitting submit. Sorry you had to deal with that headache.
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Anastasia Sokolov
I wonder why they even need parent birthdates? Probably just another way for the government to collect our personal data 🙄 But yes, it's the parent's DOB in that section.
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Diego Ramirez
•They actually use parent birthdates for several legitimate purposes: identity verification, determining retirement status for certain income calculations in the SAI formula, and cross-verification with tax records. It's not just data collection - it helps prevent fraud and ensures aid goes to eligible students.
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Anastasia Sokolov
•Thanks for explaining. I guess that makes sense, but the whole system still feels unnecessarily complicated.
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Zara Ahmed
One more tip - make sure you're filling out the 2025-2026 FAFSA if your daughter is starting college next fall. The application periods changed recently and some people are still filling out the wrong year's form!
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Omar Hassan
•Good catch! Yes, I'm using the 2025-2026 form. I actually had to create a new FSA ID last week since they updated the system. That whole process was another headache!
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Lucas Turner
I went through this exact same confusion when I filled out my son's FAFSA two years ago! The interface could definitely be clearer about this. Just to add to what everyone else has said - yes, it's the parent's birthdate in the parent section. One thing that helped me was to think of each section as literally being filled out BY that person. So the student section is as if your daughter is filling it out herself (her info), and the parent section is as if you're filling it out about yourself (your info). Also, if you're married and filing jointly, you'll need both parents' birthdates. Good luck with the application - you're doing great by being careful and asking questions!
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Victoria Jones
•That's such a helpful way to think about it - each section being filled out BY that person! I'm a visual learner so that mental framework really clicks for me. And yes, I'm married so I'll need both of our birthdates. Thanks for the encouragement too - this whole process feels overwhelming but everyone here has been so helpful!
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