Where do I start FAFSA as a first-time parent of a high school senior?

Hi there! You'll want to go to studentaid.gov to create your FSA ID. Both you AND your student need separate FSA IDs (this is something schools often don't explain clearly). You'll each need your own email address and social security number to create these accounts. After you both have FSA IDs, then your student should start the actual FAFSA application, but you'll need to provide parent financial information and sign it with your FSA ID. The 2025-2026 FAFSA should be available now, and priority deadlines vary by state and college, but earlier is always better!

we went thru this last year. go to studentaid.gov but be ready for frustration!! the site kept crashing when we tried to submit and we had to restart 3 times lol. make sure u both have ur socials and tax info ready before u start

Welcome to the FAFSA journey! Here's the exact process for getting started: 1. Go to studentaid.gov 2. Both you AND your student must create separate FSA IDs 3. Gather these documents before starting: your 2023 tax return, W-2s, bank statements, and investment records (if applicable) 4. Your student initiates the FAFSA application but will need you to complete the parent/contributor section 5. You'll both need to electronically sign with your respective FSA IDs Priority deadlines vary by state and school, but try to submit by January for maximum aid consideration. The FAFSA now uses your SAI (Student Aid Index) instead of EFC to determine aid eligibility.

The entire FAFSA system is designed to be confusing on purpose!!! I had to submit my son's THREE TIMES last year because they kept saying there were "errors" but wouldn't tell us what they were. Then they picked us for "verification" which meant sending in even MORE paperwork. Start early because it's a NIGHTMARE dealing with their customer service - you'll be on hold for HOURS only to get disconnected! The whole thing is a scam to prevent people from getting financial aid!

When I was doing FAFSA for my twins last fall, I found Claimyr to be a lifesaver for reaching actual FSA agents. Instead of waiting on hold forever, I used them (claimyr.com) and got connected to a real person in about 10 minutes who helped me fix our login issues. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. Definitely helped us get through to someone when we were stuck with verification questions.

I just went through this with my daughter last month! Here's what we learned: - You both need FSA IDs (get these first) - Your student starts the application but you'll complete most of it - The parent contribution section is VERY detailed about finances - They'll ask about your 2023 tax info - They now use SAI instead of EFC (basically the same thing) - You'll get your initial SAI score about 3-5 days after submission Most importantly: TAKE SCREENSHOTS OF EVERYTHING. We had a glitch and lost some info and had to start over!

Thanks everyone for all this helpful information! I created my FSA ID yesterday and my daughter made hers today. We're gathering all our tax documents now and plan to start the actual application this weekend. I'm still nervous about making mistakes, but feeling much more prepared! One more question - after we submit, how long until we know what aid she might qualify for?

when my son was applying we almost missed a bunch of school specific financial aid deadlines because we didnt know they were different from the regular application deadlines!! make sure you check each college's website for their FAFSA priority dates

You're doing great by getting started early! I just wanted to add a couple more tips that helped us last year: 1. Make sure both you and your daughter use the SAME browser when working on the FAFSA - we had weird syncing issues when she used Chrome and I used Safari 2. The parent contributor section will ask about untaxed income too (like 401k contributions, child support received, etc.) so have those numbers ready 3. If you're divorced or separated, only the parent who provides more financial support fills out the parent section 4. Save your work frequently! There's an auto-save feature but it's not always reliable The process seems overwhelming at first but you'll get through it. The hardest part is just getting started, which you've already done! Good luck with the application this weekend.