Information You'll Need to Complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA

To start the 2025–2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you and your contributor(s) will need to create a StudentAid.gov account by generating the FSA ID (username and password). If you or your contributor(s) already have an FSA ID, you do not need to create a new one, you will use your existing username and password. A contributor is anyone who is required to provide consent and approval to have their federal tax information transferred directly from the IRS into the FAFSA form and provide a signature on the form.

A contributor is:

You, the student, and, if applicable, contributors may also include:
- Your spouse
- Your parent
- Your parent's spouse or partner

Each contributor will need to enter information and complete their section of the FAFSA. The FSA ID is used to electronically sign the FAFSA. Contributors who do not have a social security number are able to create an account for the 2025-2026 FAFSA by following the instructions and prompts to create a StudentAid.gov account.

Information Needed to Complete the 2025–2026 FAFSA for Dependent and Independent Students

Plan to have the following information on-hand to complete the 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

A table showing information required to complete the 2025–2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), showing required documentation for dependent and independent students and their contributors (parents or spouses, if applicable).
	Student (Dependent)	Student (Independent)
Create a StudentAid.gov Account (includes FSA ID) Beforehand OR Use an existing StudentAid.gov Account / FSA ID	For the student and contributor(s)	For the student (and student's spouse if a FAFSA contributor)
Legal Name	For the student and contributor(s)	For the student (and student's spouse if a FAFSA contributor)
Date of Birth	For the student and contributor(s)	For the student (and student's spouse if a FAFSA contributor)
Email Address	For the student and contributor(s)	For the student (and student's spouse if a FAFSA contributor)
Social Security Number (If applicable)	For the student and contributor(s)	For the student (and student's spouse if a FAFSA contributor)
2023 Federal tax information and forms (IRS Form 1040, W2s, other sources of earned income, foreign tax return or other taxing authority)	For the student and contributor(s)	For the student (and student's spouse if a FAFSA contributor)
Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) (If applicable)	For the student and contributor(s)	For the student (and student's spouse if a FAFSA contributor)
Records of child support received	For the student and contributor(s)	For the student (and student's spouse if a FAFSA contributor)
Current balances of cash, savings, and checking accounts	For the student and contributor(s)	For the student (and student's spouse if a FAFSA contributor)
Net worth of investments, businesses, and farms	For the student and contributor(s)	For the student (and student's spouse if a FAFSA contributor)

Questions?

Call the One Stop Center at 847.925.6710