FAFSA student account renewal question - does my son need a new FSA ID for 2025-2026?
I'm helping my son with his second FAFSA application for the 2025-2026 year and I'm confused about the account setup. Last year we both created FSA IDs and got through the application okay, but now I'm not sure if he needs to create a brand new account for this year's FAFSA or if we just log in with last year's information and start a new application? The studentaid.gov website isn't very clear about this. Anyone gone through the renewal process recently? I don't want to mess anything up by creating duplicate accounts if we don't need to!
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Amina Bah
Your son should use the same FSA ID from last year. The FSA ID is permanent and stays with the student throughout their education. You'll both log in with your existing FSA IDs and select the option to complete a 2025-2026 FAFSA. The system will even pre-populate some information from last year's application, which saves time. Just make sure to update any information that has changed (income, assets, etc).
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Paolo Marino
•Oh thank you! That makes so much sense. I was worried we'd have to start from scratch. Do you know if his SAI from last year will affect this year's calculation at all?
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Oliver Becker
use the same account!! dont make a new 1. my daughter tried making a new account last year (her 2nd fafsa) and it caused all kinds of problems with her getting verified. took like an extra month to sort out
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Natasha Petrova
•This happened to my nephew too! He forgot his password and made a new account instead of resetting it. The financial aid office had to merge his accounts and it delayed his aid package by weeks.
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Javier Hernandez
The FSA ID remains the same for your son's entire academic journey. When he logs into studentaid.gov, he'll simply initiate a new FAFSA for the 2025-2026 academic year. The system offers a convenient renewal option that transfers basic information from the previous application, though you'll need to update financial details using your 2023 tax information. Make sure both you and your son remember your FSA IDs and passwords. If you've forgotten them, use the recovery options rather than creating new accounts. Creating duplicate FSA IDs can cause significant verification delays, sometimes 4-6 weeks of processing time. Also worth noting: if your son is now 18 or older, he should be managing his own FSA ID account and signing his application electronically. Many parents make the mistake of continuing to control both accounts beyond the student's 18th birthday.
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Paolo Marino
•That's really helpful information! He turned 19 last month so I'll make sure he manages his own account this time. We do have the FSA ID information saved, thankfully. Will the application still let me help him with the process even if he's the one signing in?
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Emma Davis
My kid's college said we definitely use the SAME account every year. But last year the whole FAFSA system changed so everything is different anyway. I tried doing the renewal and it wasn't any easier than starting from scratch honestly. The whole thing is so frustrating!!!!
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Javier Hernandez
•You're right about the recent FAFSA simplification changes, but the FSA ID system remained the same through those updates. The renewal process should still pull in basic demographic information even with the new system. However, with the new SAI formula replacing the old EFC calculation, many financial elements need to be entered fresh. If you're finding the process frustrating, remember you can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243 for personalized assistance.
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LunarLegend
If you're having trouble reaching someone at the Federal Student Aid Information Center (those hold times are brutal!), I recently discovered a service called Claimyr that helped me get through when I was trying to sort out my son's verification issues. They basically hold your place in the phone queue and call you back when an agent is available. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video demo that explains it better than I can: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ As for your account question, everyone else is right - keep the same FSA ID and just start a new application for the 2025-2026 year. The renewal option should make things easier.
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Paolo Marino
•Wow, I didn't know a service like that existed! Those hold times are terrible. I tried calling last year and gave up after being on hold for over an hour. I'll check out that video - thanks for sharing. And thanks for confirming about the FSA ID too!
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Malik Jackson
This is my 3rd year with FAFSA and they always make EVERYTHING more complicated than it needs to be. Why can't they just say clearly on the website "KEEP YOUR FSA ID FOREVER" instead of making everyone guess?? Same ID, new application every year. And make sure all your tax info is ready because they'll ask for every line from your return...and heaven forbid you make a typo because then your application goes into verification hell for months. Sorry for the rant, just went through this again with my middle child and I'm still annoyed lol
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Paolo Marino
•No need to apologize for the rant! It IS frustrating how unclear they make everything. I totally agree they should just put that information front and center. I'm already dreading going through all the tax information again. Last year we got selected for verification too and it was such a headache.
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Natasha Petrova
Same FSA ID, but new application :) My daughter just graduated college and used the same FSA ID all four years!
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Oliver Becker
btw be ready for the new confusing stuff this year. they changed the whole system and SAI replaced EFC so everything looks different. and the parent info section takes forever now with all the new questions
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Javier Hernandez
•That's partially correct. The FAFSA simplification did replace EFC with SAI (Student Aid Index), but the 2025-2026 application should actually have fewer questions than previous years. The forms were streamlined to remove approximately 30 questions that were deemed unnecessary. The contributor sections (what used to be called parent information) might feel longer because the questions are organized differently, but the total question count is lower. The biggest change is that more families can now automatically skip the asset questions if they meet certain income thresholds.
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Paolo Marino
Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! I'll make sure we use the same FSA IDs and just start a new application for 2025-2026. I'm glad I asked before potentially creating duplicate accounts and causing problems. My son will be handling his own account this time around since he's 19 now. I'm definitely not looking forward to the new system changes, but at least I know what to expect now. Thanks again!
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