FAFSA should be started under student or parent login? So confused about who creates the account

The student should ALWAYS be the one to create the account and start the FAFSA. The application is for the student, so they need to be the one to initiate it with their own FSA ID. Here's why this is important: 1. The student is the applicant, and the FAFSA belongs to them, not the parent 2. The student must create their own FSA ID that's linked to their SSN 3. The parent needs to create a separate FSA ID as a contributor 4. When the student reaches the parent section, they can either have the parent complete it directly or transfer access Your daughter should create her FSA ID first, then start the application. When she reaches the parent section, you'll need your own FSA ID to complete your portion. This is the correct workflow that prevents confusion about whose information belongs where.

my son did his and it was ALL MESSED UP because I tried to help him too much lol. let ur daughter do her part completely first then u do urs. dont try to fill in her stuff 4 her even if u think ur helping!

doesn't really matter who starts it as long as the info is correct. the financial aid office can fix everything later if there's problems.

Here's the step-by-step process for the 2025-2026 FAFSA that's worked successfully for me with both my kids: 1. Your DAUGHTER creates her FSA ID at studentaid.gov (requires her email, phone, and SSN) 2. YOU create your own separate FSA ID (requires your email, phone, and SSN) 3. Your daughter logs in with HER FSA ID and starts the application 4. She completes her personal information sections 5. When she reaches the parent section, she can either: a) Have you sit with her while she inputs your information (you'll need to provide your FSA ID details) b) Use the "notify" function to send you an email to complete your section separately Keep in mind that for the 2025-2026 FAFSA, they now use Contributor roles rather than the old parent section. Make sure your daughter adds you correctly as a Contributor with access to complete your portion. If you start the FAFSA instead of your daughter, it creates confusion in the system about whose aid application it actually is, and can trigger verification flags or delays.

Call the Federal Student Aid Information Center directly if you're confused - but good luck actually reaching anyone there! I spent THREE DAYS trying to get through their phone system last year when we had a similar confusion about who should start the application. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours.

another thing nobody mentioned is that if ur daughter is under 18 its actually easier for u to create YOUR fsa id first since she'll need ur help anyway

Financial aid expert here - to clarify the official process: The 2025-2026 FAFSA is designed to be initiated by the STUDENT. The Department of Education has made this clear in their guidance. The student must: 1. Create their own FSA ID first 2. Use that FSA ID to log in and start the application 3. Add contributors (parents) to the application Contributors (parents) then: 1. Create their own separate FSA IDs 2. Access the student's application only for their specific sections Your Student Aid Index (SAI, which replaced the old EFC) calculation depends on this information being entered correctly and by the appropriate person. Attempting shortcuts can trigger verification flags in the system. The most common error we see is parents creating the entire application under their own accounts, which causes massive confusion in the system about who the actual student applicant is. This usually results in processing delays of 3-6 weeks.

btw make sure u have ALL ur tax info ready b4 u start!! sooo annoying if u get halfway thru and realize u need some random form

As someone who just went through this process with my oldest last year, I can confirm that the student absolutely needs to be the one to create the account and start the FAFSA! I made the mistake of trying to help too much initially and it created confusion. Here's what worked for us: My daughter created her FSA ID first, then I created mine. She started the application under her login, filled out all her personal info, and then when it came to the parent contributor section, she invited me to complete my portion. The system walked us through it pretty clearly once we got the initial setup right. Don't stress too much about the process itself - the new FAFSA is actually more user-friendly than the old one. Just make sure you follow the correct order: daughter creates FSA ID → you create FSA ID → daughter starts application → you complete contributor sections when prompted. Good luck!

As a newcomer to this whole FAFSA process, I'm finding all this advice incredibly helpful! My daughter is a junior and we're just starting to think about college applications and financial aid. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the key takeaway is: student creates FSA ID first, parent creates separate FSA ID, then student initiates the application and adds parent as contributor when needed. One question I have - when should we actually start this process? Should we wait until after she's applied to colleges, or can we get the FAFSA submitted before she's even been accepted anywhere? I want to make sure we don't miss any deadlines but also don't want to jump the gun too early. Also, is there a specific time of year when the new FAFSA opens up? I keep seeing references to the 2025-2026 form but want to make sure I understand the timing correctly.

As someone who just successfully completed the FAFSA process with my twin daughters this year, I want to emphasize how crucial it is to get the order right from the start! We had a smooth experience because we followed the exact steps others have outlined here. A few additional tips from our experience: - Make sure both you and your daughter write down your FSA ID information somewhere secure - you'll need to reference it multiple times throughout the process and when making corrections later - Don't panic if the system seems slow or kicks you out occasionally - this is normal, especially during peak filing times - Save your progress frequently using the save key feature - Double-check that your daughter's legal name on the FAFSA matches exactly what's on her Social Security card - even small differences can cause processing delays The new FAFSA really is more intuitive once you get started. Your daughter should definitely be the one to create her account first and initiate everything. You've got this - just take it step by step and don't rush through it!

As a parent who's just starting to navigate this process, I'm so grateful for all the detailed advice here! Reading through everyone's experiences has really clarified the correct steps for me. It sounds like the consensus is crystal clear: my daughter needs to create her FSA ID first, then I create mine, and then she starts the application under her own account. I'm curious about one thing though - once she adds me as a contributor and I'm completing my sections, do I need to be logged in with my own FSA ID at that point, or am I still working within her application session? Also, if we're sitting together working on it (which seems like it might be the most practical approach), should she stay logged in the whole time, or do we need to switch back and forth between our accounts? Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been incredibly helpful for a confused parent trying to do this right the first time!

As a newcomer to the FAFSA world, this thread has been absolutely invaluable! My son is a high school senior and we're about to tackle this process. Reading everyone's experiences has made it crystal clear that he needs to create his FSA ID first, then I create mine as the parent contributor. One thing I'm still wondering about - if we make a mistake during the application process, how difficult is it to go back and make corrections? I'm terrified of messing something up that could delay his financial aid. Also, does anyone know if there are any red flags or common errors that automatically trigger the verification process? I want to be as prepared as possible before we start, and it sounds like having all our 2023 tax documents ready is crucial. Thanks to everyone who has shared their real-world experiences - it's so much more helpful than trying to decipher the official government websites!

As someone who's been helping families navigate FAFSA for years through my work at a college prep center, I want to reinforce what the experts here have said: the student absolutely MUST be the one to create their FSA ID and initiate the application. This isn't just a recommendation - it's how the system is designed to work. I've seen too many families create major headaches by having parents start the process. The Department of Education's systems are very particular about this workflow, and deviating from it often results in verification holds, processing delays, or worse - having to start completely over. Here's my foolproof checklist for success: 1. Student creates FSA ID using their own email/phone/SSN 2. Parent creates separate FSA ID using their own email/phone/SSN 3. Student logs in and starts application 4. Student completes all their personal sections 5. When prompted, student adds parent as contributor 6. Parent completes their sections using their own FSA ID The key is patience and following the system's prompts exactly. Don't try to shortcut or "help" by doing steps out of order. Trust the process - it really does work when done correctly!