Who needs to create FAFSA account first - parent or student applicant?

The student applying for aid should create their FSA ID and start the FAFSA application first. Your high school senior would create his account and begin the application, then list you as a contributor. You'll then get an email invitation to complete your portion. Your older student's existing FSA ID is only relevant for their own FAFSA, not for your younger child's application. Each student files their own separate FAFSA, even within the same family. Your older student will need to complete a renewal FAFSA for themselves, completely separate from your younger student's application.

when i did mine last yr it was SOOO confusing!!!! the student has to go first then parent. but now with the new FAFSA for 2025 i think they changed things?? my cousins had to redo everything cuz they did it backwards lol

The correct order for the 2025-2026 FAFSA is: 1. Your high school senior creates an FSA ID (if they don't already have one) 2. Your high school senior starts the FAFSA application as the student applicant 3. During the application, your senior will add you as a contributor by entering your email address 4. You'll receive an email invitation to create your FSA ID (if you don't have one) and complete your portion 5. You complete your section with your financial information Your older student's existing FAFSA/FSA ID has nothing to do with your younger student's application. Each student completes their own separate FAFSA. Important: Make sure each person (you and each student) uses their own unique email address and creates their own FSA ID. Don't share FSA IDs between family members as this causes major verification issues later.

If you already have an FSA ID from your older child's application, you'll use that same FSA ID for your younger child's FAFSA. The FSA ID is connected to YOUR identity as a parent, not to any specific student's application. So when your younger child adds you as a contributor, you'll use your existing FSA ID credentials to log in and complete your portion. No need to create a new one.

The whole system is DESIGNED to be confusing!!! I got locked out THREE TIMES trying to do my kids' FAFSA last year because their stupid system kept giving errors when I tried to link our tax info. Then you call the help number and sit on hold for 3 HOURS only to get disconnected! They want people to give up so they don't have to give out as much aid!!!!

I had the same issue last month trying to set up FAFSA for my twins. After getting disconnected six times trying to reach FSA, I found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual FAFSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent confirmed that for the 2025-2026 FAFSA, the student needs to create their FSA ID first, then start the application and add parents as contributors. She also helped me fix an issue where my email was somehow linked to my daughter's account. The website is claimyr.com if you need to talk to someone at FSA directly.

with the new FAFSA my daughter had to start it then add me and it was a mess bc we got confused about which email went where and she put MY email as hers by accident and we had to call and fix everything ugh

Just to clarify an important detail: For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, each person involved needs their own unique email address: - Your high school senior needs their own email for their FSA ID - You need your own email for your FSA ID - Your college sophomore needs their own email for their FSA ID If you used your email for your older student's application previously, you'll want to update that. The new FAFSA system is much stricter about unique emails to prevent identity confusion and verification issues. Also, remember that the Student Aid Index (SAI) has replaced the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), so the calculations will look different than in previous years if you're comparing numbers.

my financial aid office said make sure u do the 2025-2026 FAFSA and not accidentally do the 2024-2025 one again cause both r available right now!!!

To summarize the process for your family: 1. Your high school senior creates FSA ID and starts 2025-2026 FAFSA 2. Senior adds you as a contributor (using your email) 3. You receive email invitation and use your EXISTING FSA ID to complete your portion 4. Separately, your college sophomore uses their existing FSA ID to complete their renewal FAFSA for 2025-2026 Make sure each person uses their own unique email address, phone number, and has their own FSA ID. Never share FSA IDs between family members. Also, prepare your 2023 tax information ahead of time, as that's what will be used for the 2025-2026 FAFSA calculations.

Just went through this exact process with my daughter last month! One thing I'd add is to make sure your high school senior has all their documents ready BEFORE starting the FAFSA - Social Security card, driver's license, and bank statements. Also, have your 2023 tax return handy since that's what they'll need for the 2025-2026 FAFSA. The process really is much smoother when the student starts first and then adds parents as contributors. My daughter created her FSA ID on a Monday, started the application Tuesday, and I got the email invitation Wednesday morning. Took us about 2 hours total to complete both sections. Pro tip: Do it on a computer, not a phone. The mobile interface is terrible and times out frequently!