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The 2025-2026 FAFSA will fully launch by December 1st! It’s best to file as soon as possible to meet your financial aid deadlines and improve your chances of qualifying for the most grants and scholarships. The FAFSA is a form you fill out every year you are in college to give your college, state, and federal government the information they need to determine your eligibility for financial aid. The FAFSA can feel overwhelming, but these five tips will help you navigate every step of the process!

 

Before you start

Create your FSA ID

Your FSA ID also known as a studentaid.gov account is a username and password that serves as your legal signature. You will use it to complete the FAFSA and access all federal student aid websites throughout college. Additionally, if you're considered dependent on the FAFSA, at least one parent must create an FSA ID. At least three days before starting the FAFSA, go to studentaid.gov and click "Create Account" to create an FSA ID. uAspire’s handout walks you through the process.

 

Collect necessary information

The 2025-2026 FAFSA requires 2023 tax information, and even though the FAFSA may transfer most of the needed financial information when you provide consent, it’s helpful to gather your and your family’s tax packet early in the process. Grab the 1040 tax form, plus any schedules that were filed, as well as any W-2s from that year. If your family doesn’t file taxes, you don’t have to gather any tax information. Use our FAFSA checklist to see what other information you’ll need and to keep track of it all. 

 

Fill out the FAFSA

Provide consent on the FAFSA

To be eligible for federal student aid, like the Pell Grant or federal student loans, you must provide consent on the FAFSA, which allows the IRS to share your federal tax information with Federal Student Aid. This process is required of all contributors, regardless of tax filing status. Consent is easy to provide on the FAFSA–just click “approve” when asked on the form. Most contributors will see very few income and tax questions after consenting. If you have already submitted it but haven’t consented, don’t worry! You can log back in, correct your FAFSA, and provide consent.

 

Double-check before submitting

Before submitting your FAFSA, you’ll see a review page summarizing your responses. Take a moment to check your answers to make sure you haven’t made any mistakes. This is a crucial step to save time and ensure you receive your aid promptly. If you spot any errors, correct them now so you won’t have to return to make changes later.

 

Sign and submit the FAFSA

You must check the box at the end of your section and sign your FAFSA. If you’re required to include parent information, at least one parent will need to complete their section and sign the FAFSA. Once all contributors have signed their sections, you can submit your FAFSA to be processed. Your FAFSA should just take a few days to process. Once processed, you should log back in and review the FAFSA Submission Summary to ensure everything looks correct and nothing has been flagged as needing follow-up. If you need to provide additional information, do so promptly and follow the steps on the form. 

For more FAFSA resources, go to uaspire.org/resources.