Where to find the official FAFSA application site for December 1st opening?

Definitely DON'T just Google it! There are tons of scam sites that show up when you search FAFSA. The official site is studentaid.gov - that's the ONLY place you should be entering your personal/financial info. And yes, you can create your FSA ID now before the application opens. Actually, both you AND a parent need FSA IDs if you're a dependent student.

The correct website is studentaid.gov - that's the official Federal Student Aid site. You should definitely create your FSA ID now before the rush! It can take 1-3 days to get verified. Also have your parents create their FSA ID too since they'll need to sign your FAFSA as contributors. The site has practice worksheets you can fill out now to get ready for the actual application opening.

studentaid.gov is right but also watch out for emails saying your "FAFSA is incomplete" or "FAFSA refund available" - all scams!!! I got like 5 of these last year trying to get my info.

Yes, as others have said, ONLY use studentaid.gov - it's the official federal site. Creating your FSA ID early is smart (both you and parents need one). For December 1st, I recommend logging in around 9-10am EST rather than midnight - the site often crashes with everyone trying to submit at once. Also, gather these docs before December: - Your Social Security number - Your parents' Social Security numbers - Your driver's license number (if you have one) - 2023 federal income tax returns - W-2 forms from 2023 - Records of untaxed income - Current bank statements - Current investment records The new FAFSA is shorter (by about 50 questions) but having everything ready makes it much easier!

my cousin went to fafsa.com last year and it was a TOTAL SCAM!!! they charged him $80 to "process" his application when its supposed to be FREE!!! so yeah def use the .gov site only

If you're struggling to reach someone at Federal Student Aid with questions, try using Claimyr (claimyr.com). I was getting nowhere trying to confirm if my FSA ID was properly linked to my parent's account before the FAFSA opened. Claimyr got me through to an actual human at FSA in about 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

Just to add to what others have said - create your FSA ID and your parents' FSA IDs NOW. Don't wait!! The identity verification can sometimes take a few days, especially if there are any discrepancies between the info you enter and what the Social Security Administration has on file. Also, with the new FAFSA, you'll need to list your "contributors" - basically anyone who will provide financial info on your application (usually parents for dependent students). Each contributor needs their own FSA ID and will need to provide their consent for tax data transfer through the IRS.

i waited until december last year and the site crashed like crazy. took me THREE DAYS to submit because of all the errors. don't procrastinate like me lol. and if you get stuck, use the chatbot on studentaid.gov - it actually helped me fix an error when i couldn't figure out why my form wouldn't submit

One more thing to check - make sure you're using an UPDATED browser when you go to submit. My sister tried using an old version of Internet Explorer last year and nothing worked right. Chrome and Firefox usually work best for the FAFSA site. And clear your cookies/cache if you run into weird errors!