Applying for federal student aid is one of the most important steps in figuring out how to pay for college. While filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form can be daunting, knowing what information you need ahead of time can help.
Below is a list of all the questions you’ll be asked to answer on the FAFSA. You can use this as a guide to help you gather any documents or information you need before sitting down to complete the form.
100+ questions on the FAFSA
| Number | Question |
|---|---|
| Question 1 | Your last name |
| Question 2 | Your first name |
| Question 3 | Your middle initial |
| Question 4 | Your permanent mailing address |
| Question 5 | Your city |
| Question 6 | Your state |
| Question 7 | Your ZIP code |
| Question 8 | Your Social Security Number |
| Question 9 | Your date of birth |
| Question 10 | Your telephone number |
| Question 11 | Your driver’s license number |
| Question 12 | Your driver’s license state |
| Question 13 | Your e-mail adress |
| Question 14 | Are you a U.S. citizen |
| Question 15 | Your Alien registration number |
| Question 16 | What is your marital status? |
| Question 17 | Month and year you were married, separated, divorced, or widowed |
| Question 18 | What is your state of legal residence? |
| Question 19 | Did you become a legal resident of your state before January 1, 2014? |
| Question 20 | Month and year you became a legal resident |
| Question 21 | Are you male or female? |
| Question 22 | Do you want us to register you with the Selective Service System? |
| Question 23 | Have you been convicted for the possession or sale of illegal drugs for an offense that occurred while you were receiving federal student aid (grants, work-study, and/or loans)? |
| Question 24 and 25 | Highest school your parent completed |
| Question 26 | What will your high school completion status be when you begin college in the 2019–2020 school year? |
| Question 27 | Student’s High School Name, City, and State |
| Question 28 | Will you have your first bachelor’s degree before you begin the 2019–2020 school year? |
| Question 29 | What will your college grade level be when you begin the 2019–2020 school year? |
| Question 30 | What degree or certificate will you be working on when you begin the 2019– 2020 school year? |
| Question 31 | Are you interested in being considered for work- study? |
| Question 32 | Have you completed a 2017 income tax return? |
| Question 33 | What income tax return did you file or will you file for 2017? |
| Question 34 | For 2017, what is or will be your tax filing status according to your tax return? |
| Question 35 | Were you eligible to file a 1040A or 1040EZ? |
| Question 36 | What was your adjusted gross income for 2017? |
| Question 37 | What was your income tax for 2017? |
| Question 38 | How many exemptions did you claim? |
| Question 39 | How much did you earn from working in 2017? |
| Question 40 | How much did your spouse earn from working in 2017? |
| Question 41 | What is the total current balance of your cash, savings, and checking accounts? |
| Question 42 | What is the net worth of your investments? |
| Question 43 | What is the net worth of your current businesses and/or investment farms? |
| Question 44 | a) What were your total education credits? b) How much total child support did you pay? c) What were your taxable earnings from need-based employment programs? d) How much taxable college grant or scholarship aid did you report to the IRS as income? e) How much combat pay or special combat pay did you report in your AGI? f) What were your earnings from work under a Cooperative Education Program offered by a college? |
| Question 45 | a) What were your total tax-deferred pension payments? b) How much did you pay to your IRA or Keogh? c) How much total child support did you receive? d) What was your total tax-exempt interest income? e) What were your total untaxed portions of IRA distributions? f) What were your total untaxed portions of pensions? g) What were your total allowances received? h) What were your total veterans noneducation benefits? i) What was the total of your other untaxed income or benefits?j) What other money has been paid on your behalf? |
| Question 46 | Were you born before January 1, 1996? |
| Question 47 | Are you married? |
| Question 48 | At the beginning of the 2019–2020 school year, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, or graduate certificate, etc.?) |
| Question 49 | Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training? |
| Question 50 | Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces? |
| Question 51 | Do you now have or will you have children who will receive more than half of their support from you between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020? |
| Question 52 | Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2020? |
| Question 53 | At any time since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you a dependent or ward of the court? |
| Question 54 | As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you an emancipated minor? |
| Question 55 | Does someone other than your parent or stepparent have legal guardianship of you, as determined by a court in your state of legal residence? |
| Question 56 | At any time on or after July 1, 2018, did your high school or school district homeless liaison determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless? |
| Question 57 | At any time on or after July 1, 2018, did the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless? |
| Question 58 | At any time on or after July 1, 2018, did the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless? |
| Question 59 | As of today, what is the marital status of your parents? |
| Question 60 | Month and year your parents were married, separated, divorced, or widowed |
| Question 61 and 65 | Parent’s Social Security Number |
| Question 62 and 66 | Parent’s last name |
| Question 63 and 67 | Parent’s first initial |
| Question 64 and 68 | Parent’s date of birth |
| Question 69 | Your parent’s e-mail address |
| Question 70 | What is your parents’ state of legal residence? |
| Question 71 | Did your parents become legal residents of their state before January 1, 2014? |
| Question 72 | Month and year your parents became legal residents |
| Question 73 | Your parents’ number of family members in 2019–2020 (household size) |
| Question 74 | How many people in your parents’ household will be college students in 2019–2020? |
| Question 75 to 79 | Parents Received Medicaid/Supplemental Security Income/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/Free or Reduced Price School Lunch/Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)/Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children? |
| Question 80 | Have your parents completed a 2017 income tax return? |
| Question 81 | What type of income tax return did your parents file or will they file for 2017? |
| Question 82 | For 2017, what is or will be your parents’ tax filing status according to their tax return? |
| Question 83 | Were your parents eligible to file a 1040A or 1040EZ? |
| Question 84 | Is either of your parents a dislocated worker? |
| Question 85 | What was your parents’ adjusted gross income for 2017? |
| Question 86 | What was your parents’ total income tax for 2017? |
| Question 87 | How many exemptions did your parents claim? |
| Question 88 and 89 | How much did your parent earn from working in 2017? |
| Question 90 | What is the total current balance of your parents’ cash, savings, and checking accounts? |
| Question 91 | What is the net worth of your parents’ investments? |
| Question 92 | What is the net worth of your parents’ current businesses and/or investment farms? |
| Question 93 | a) What were your parents’ total education credits? b) How much total child support did your parents pay? c) What were your parents’ taxable earnings from need-based employment programs? d) How much taxable college grant or scholarship aid did your parents report to the IRS as Income? e) How much combat pay or special combat pay did your parents report in their AGI? f) What were your parents’ earnings from work under a Cooperative Education Program offered by a college? |
| Question 94 | a) What were your parents’ total tax-deferred pension payments? b) How much did your parents pay to their IRA or Keogh? c) How much total child support did your parents receive? d) What was your parents’ total tax-exempt interest income? e) What were your parents’ total untaxed portions of IRA distributions? f) What were your parents’ total untaxed portions of pensions? g) What were your parents’ total allowances received? h) What were your parents’ total veterans noneducation benefits? i) What was the total of your parents’ other untaxed income or benefits? |
| Question 95 | Your number of family members in 2019–2020 (household size |
| Question 96 | How many people in your household will be in college in 2019–2020? |
| Question 97 to 101 | Students Received Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Free or Reduced Price School Lunch, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) |
| Question 102 | Are you or your spouse a dislocated worker? |
| Question 103a, 103c, 103e, 103g | Federal School Code |
| Question 103b, 103d, 103f, 103h | Housing Plans |
| Question 104 | Date this form was completed |
| Question 105 | Student and Parent signature |
| Question 106 | Preparer’s Social Security Number |
| Question 107 | Preparer’s Employer Identification Number |
| Question 108 | Preparer’s Signature and Date |
Source: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/sites/default/files/2019-20-completing-fafsa.pdf
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Bottom line
Compiling all of the information you need before sitting down to fill out the FAFSA can make for a smoother application process. The government recommends submitting the FAFSA as soon as you can, since many states provide aid on a first-come, first-served basis. The federal deadline for the 2019-2020 academic year was June 30, 2020, but check to see if your state has their own deadline as well.
Already sent in your form and want to learn more about how to pay for college? Read our guide to student loans to compare federal versus private loans, interest rates and repayment options.
Frequently asked questions
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According to the Federal Student Aid website, if you answer Yes to either of the dependency questions (52 and 53), then you’re considered independent and not required to answer questions about your parents.
You might want to anyway, though. Many colleges and states require information about your parents to determine how much aid you qualify for.
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Yes, you can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 800-433-3243 for help filling out the FAFSA. Representatives are available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET and weekends from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
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If you, your spouse or your parents meet certain income and tax conditions, you may be able to skip questions related to your assets. However, some states might require you to answer those questions in order to determine eligibility for state aid.
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If you, your spouse or your parents meet certain income and tax conditions, you may be able to skip questions related to your assets. However, some states might require you to answer those questions in order to determine eligibility for state aid.
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Yes. However, the FSA saves all of the information you entered the first time around, so you likely won’t need to answer all of these questions over again. You can check out our guide to renewing the FAFSA to find out what details you might need to update.
FAQs
How many questions are on the 2023 FAFSA? ›
| Number | Question |
|---|---|
| Question 10 | Your telephone number |
| Question 11 | Your driver's license number |
| Question 12 | Your driver's license state |
| Question 13 | Your e-mail adress |
If you're applying for financial aid for the 2023–24 school year (typically July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024), you should file a 2023–24 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form.
What is needed for FAFSA 2023? ›Information you'll need to fill out the FAFSA:
Your federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. Your parents income tax returns, W-2 forms and 1040 forms if you're a dependent. Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable). Records of untaxed income (if applicable).
2022-2023 FAFSA Updates
The application will only have, at most, 36 questions, down from 108. The Student Aid Index (SAI) is being replaced with the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which will help students and their families make better sense of their award letters.
69. How many people are in your parents' household? other people if they now live with your parents, your parents provide more than half of their support and your parents will continue to provide more than half of their support between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.
What is question 85 on FAFSA 2023? ›What is the total current balance of your parents' cash, savings, and checking accounts? This is question 85 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) PDF. Add the account balances of your parents' cash, savings, and checking accounts as of the day you submit your FAFSA form.
What is the maximum amount for FAFSA for 2023? ›The maximum Federal Pell Grant for the 2023–24 award year (July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024) is $7,395. The amount an individual student may receive depends on a number of factors. Learn more via the links below: Learn what factors go into determining the amount of Pell Grant funding a student receives.
What affects FAFSA the most? ›Your eligibility depends on your Expected Family Contribution, your year in school, your enrollment status, and the cost of attendance at the school you will be attending. The financial aid office at your college or career school will determine how much financial aid you are eligible to receive.
What are changes for FAFSA 2023 and 2024? ›The FAFSA Simplification Act also removes questions about Selective Service registration and drug convictions. It also adds questions about applicants' sex, race, and ethnicity, which have no effect on federal student aid eligibility (starting with the 2023–24 award year). Was this page helpful?
What disqualifies you from getting FAFSA? ›Incarceration, misdemeanors, arrests, and more serious crimes can all affect a student's aid. Smaller offenses won't necessarily cut off a student from all aid, but it will limit the programs they qualify for as well as the amount of aid they could receive. Larger offenses can disqualify a student entirely.
What is the question 83 and 84 on the FAFSA? ›
FAFSA Questions #83-84 Parents Income Information
Question 83 and 84 ask about earnings (wages, salaries, tips, etc.) in 2021. Answer the questions whether or not a tax return was filed.
There is no set income limit for eligibility to qualify for financial aid through. You'll need to fill out the FAFSA every year to see what you qualify for at your college. It's important to make sure you fill out the FAFSA as quickly as possible once it opens on October 1st for the following school year.
Does FAFSA check your bank account? ›Students selected for verification of their FAFSA form may wonder, “Does FAFSA check your bank accounts?” FAFSA does not directly view the student's or parent's bank accounts.
How will FAFSA change in 2023? ›Changes to Pell Grant calculation
As mentioned, students with an SAI of $0 or less will be eligible for the maximum Pell Grant amount, which is $7,395 for the 2023-24 school year. If your SAI is smaller than the maximum Pell Grant amount, you may qualify for a smaller grant, according to an FSA fact sheet.
Blue (2022-2023) Yellow (2023-2024) Orange (2024-2025) Green (2025-2026)
What is the question 82 on the FAFSA? ›Why are they asking this information? This question asks how much your parent/parents had paid in income taxes for the previous year.
What is question 93 on FAFSA? ›This is question 93 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) PDF. To determine your household size, include. yourself (and if married, your spouse);
What is the 88 question on the FAFSA? ›The FAFSA asks about your parent's / parents' additional financial information as a way to gather any relevant earnings or payments that would not show up on a Federal tax return.
What is the question 71 on the FAFSA? ›Why are they asking this information? This series of questions aim to determine if your parent(s) received any form of supplemental government (federal or state) assistance for living expenses, which may qualify you for Federal financial aid.
What is question 79 on FAFSA? ›This question is used to help determine if you may be eligible to skip certain questions in the FAFSA form. The answer to this question may be prefilled with "Transferred from the IRS" when using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT).
What is question 92 on FAFSA? ›
At any time during 2021 or 2022, did you (or your spouse) or anyone in your household (from question 90) receive benefits from any of the federal programs listed? Mark all that apply.
Can you get financial aid if your parents make 100k? ›You may have heard the myth that if your family earns a certain amount of money, then you might not be eligible for student aid. But here's the truth: There's no FAFSA income limit, and it's possible to receive financial aid regardless of your family's income level.
Does parent income affect FAFSA? ›If you're a dependent student, the FAFSA will attempt to measure your family's financial strength to determine your expected family contribution. Therefore, your family's taxed and untaxed income, assets, and benefits (such as funds collected through unemployment or Social Security) should be entered into the FAFSA.
Will I get financial aid if my parents make over 200k? ›The good news is that the Department of Education doesn't have an official income cutoff to qualify for federal financial aid. So, even if you think your parents' income is too high, it's still worth applying (plus, it's free to apply).
What are the 3 most common FAFSA mistakes? ›You'll have a better chance at receiving money for college if you avoid several common mistakes when filling out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. Such mistakes include not completing the form on time, not filling it out correctly, or forgetting to sign and submit.
What assets don't count on FAFSA? ›Cars, computers, furniture, books, boats, appliances, clothing, and other personal property are not reported as assets on the FAFSA. Home maintenance expenses are also not reported as assets on the FAFSA, since the net worth of the family's principal place of residence is not reported as an asset.
How much does parents assets affect FAFSA? ›Colleges will expect parents to use up to 5.64 percent of their assets toward college. Protected Assets. The asset protection allowance was eliminated in the 2023-2024 FAFSA, which means all of a family's assets are taken into account in the federal aid calculation.
Who counts as dependents on FAFSA? ›Who is a dependent student? In general, you're a dependent student if you rely on your parent or guardian for financial support (housing, groceries, etc.). In that case, you're required to report their income on the FAFSA.
Can you do FAFSA with only one parent? ›If your parent is widowed or was never married, answer the questions about that parent. If your parents are divorced or separated and don't live together, answer the questions about the parent with whom you lived more during the past 12 months.
How EFC is calculated 2023? ›The student's EFC is determined by adding the student and spouse's contribution from available income to their contribution from assets and then dividing the sum by the number in college in 2023-2024, as reported on the FAFSA form.
Does FAFSA actually check income? ›
Verification could be financial, identity or statement related. According to Studentaid.gov, colleges will not ask you to verify income or family size; only the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid office will ask for income verification.
What are 3 things that the FAFSA determines your eligibility for? ›Our general eligibility requirements include that you have financial need, are a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen, and are enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program at your college or career school.
How does FAFSA verify income? ›During verification, the college financial aid administrator will ask the applicant to supply copies of documentation, such as income tax returns, W-2 statements and 1099 forms, to verify the data that was submitted on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
What is question 47 on FAFSA? ›Question 47 on the 2022-2023 FAFSA asks, “At the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, will you be working on a master's or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, graduate certificate, etc.?” The answer to this question should always be no.
What is question 44 on FAFSA? ›Question #43: Current Marital Status. Question #44: Graduate Program Status. Question #45-46: Military Status. Questions #47-48: Legal Dependents.
What is question 42 on FAFSA? ›Previous. This is question 42 on the FAFSA. The response indicates the student's (and his/her spouse's) total net worth (current value minus debt) of businesses and investment farms as of the day the FAFSA was completed.
Can you get FAFSA if you make over $100 K? ›There are no FAFSA® income limits. The FAFSA is meant to help families qualify for need-based financial aid, but the application determines non-need-based aid after considering eligibility for need-based aid. Plus, some colleges won't consider you for any of their merit scholarships until you've completed the FAFSA.
Does parents income affect student loans? ›Why does my parent's financial information affect my loans if they don't pay for my loans? If you are considered a dependent student, your parents' information must be assessed along with yours in order to get a complete picture of your family's financial strength and your ability to repay a loan.
Should I put my parents info on FAFSA if I'm independent? ›If you're a dependent student, you will report your and your parents' information. If you're an independent student, you will report your own information (and, if you're married, your spouse's).
Should I empty my savings account for FAFSA? ›Empty Your Accounts
If you have college cash stashed in a checking or savings account in your name, get it out—immediately. For every dollar stored in an account held in a student's name (excluding 529 accounts), the government will subtract 50 cents from your financial aid package.
Does a house count as an asset for FAFSA? ›
Assets you Don't include on the FAFSA
According to studentaid.gov, there are some assets you should not include when you file FAFSA. These include: Primary residence (the home you live in). UGMA/UTMA accounts that you are a custodian for, but not the owner.
Basically, the financial aid works like this: The more countable assets owned, the higher the EFC will be. The higher the EFC, the less financial aid a student is eligible for. Assets counted toward the EFC include: Cash, savings, checking accounts, money market funds and certificates of deposit.
What year is the 2023 FAFSA based on? ›On the 2023–24 FAFSA form, you (and your parents, if you are a dependent student) will report your 2021 income.
How much can a student earn before affecting FAFSA 2023? ›For the 2023-2024 FAFSA, up to $7,600 of a dependent student's income is protected — and thus not considered in the EFC. For parents, the income protection allowance depends on the number of people in the household and the number of students in college.
When should I fill out FAFSA for fall 2023? ›2022–23 Academic Year
The FAFSA form must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central time (CT) on June 30, 2023. Any corrections or updates must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on Sept. 9, 2023.
2022-2023 FAFSA Updates
The application will only have, at most, 36 questions, down from 108. The Student Aid Index (SAI) is being replaced with the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which will help students and their families make better sense of their award letters.
This is question 34 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) PDF. The answer to this question may be prefilled with "Transferred from the IRS." This question can't be left blank unless you won't file a tax return. If the answer to this question isn't prefilled, enter your total tax amount for 2021.
Does FAFSA require tax returns? ›Your federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned (Note: You may be able to transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA form using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool) Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable) Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
What are questions 16 and 17 on FAFSA? ›You are asked about your marital status in order to determine if you will be required to provide any spouse's information along with your own throughout the application.
What is the question 37 on the FAFSA? ›This is question 37 on the FAFSA. The response indicates the student's (and his/her spouse's) combined total from cash, savings, and checking accounts as of the day the FAFSA was completed.
How long is FAFSA open for 2023? ›
2022–23 Academic Year
The FAFSA form must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central time (CT) on June 30, 2023. Any corrections or updates must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on Sept. 9, 2023.
However, students with a zero EFC may qualify for the maximum federal Pell Grant, which is $7,395 for the 2023–2024 award year (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024). To qualify for a zero EFC on the 2023-2024 FAFSA, a family with dependent students can't make more than $29,000 annually.
What tax year is the 2023-2024 FAFSA based on? ›On the 2023–24 FAFSA form, you'll report 2021 tax or calendar year information when asked these questions.
What color is 2023-2024 FAFSA? ›Blue (2022-2023) Yellow (2023-2024) Orange (2024-2025) Green (2025-2026)
What is the question 93 on the FAFSA? ›This is question 93 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) PDF. the number of people (not your children or spouse) who live with you and receive more than half of their support from you and will continue to receive more than half of their support from you between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023.
What is question 40 on FAFSA? ›Total current balance of cash, savings, and checking accounts. Include the balance of your (and your spouse's) cash, savings, and checking accounts as of the date the FAFSA is completed. Do not include student financial aid.
What is question 36 on the FAFSA? ›Online Version. Questions 35 and 36 ask about earnings (wages, salaries, tips, etc.) in 2021. Answer the questions whether or not a tax return was filed.
Is FAFSA changing 2023? ›Students and families who fill out the FAFSA for the 2023-24 school year will see some of the changes already in effect. The Selective Service registration — which required male students under 26 to enroll in the draft — was removed as part of the FAFSA Simplification Act and hasn't been on the form since 2021.
Is FAFSA first come first serve? ›It is best to fill it out as early as you can because some aid is first come, first served. When you complete the FAFSA, you'll need to provide personal and tax information. You may be able to automatically retrieve your tax information from the IRS.
Am I screwed if I miss the FAFSA deadline? ›If you miss the FAFSA deadline, you may not be eligible to access some forms of financial aid for that academic year. You can, however, still pursue alternative routes such as scholarships, private loans and grants. You can also contact your school or look into state or local financial aid programs for assistance.