Complete your FAFSA

Before you begin your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you'll need to gather the following materials:

• Social Security Number
• A-Number
  • If you are not a U.S. citizen, you'll need your A-Number (Alien Registration Number)
• Financial Information
  • Your financial information includes document such as your federal income tax returns, records of any child support received, and current balances of cash, savings, and checking accounts. (Note: You must give consent to disclose your federal tax information to qualify for federal student aid.) 
• Bank Statements and Investment Records
  
  • If applicable, have bank statements and records of investments available. 
• Net Worth of Investments, Businesses, and Farms 
  • Prepare records showing the net worth of any investments, businesses, or farms. 
• Records of Untaxed Income 
  • If applicable, have documentation of untaxed income. 
• FSA ID 
  • You’ll need an FSA ID (account username and password) to log in to StudentAid.gov and complete the FAFSA form online. 
  • If you’re a dependent student, your parent(s) will need most of this information as well. 
  • If you’re married and did not file a joint tax return with your spouse, your spouse will need most of the above information. 

Your FSA ID is a secure username and password that serves as your electronic signature for U.S. Department of Education systems. Only you should create and use your FSA ID—it’s required each year to complete your FAFSA and manage your federal student loans. 

How to Create an FSA ID 
Visit StudentAid.gov to set up your FSA ID. You’ll need your Social Security number, full name, date of birth, and a unique email address or mobile number. Creating a memorable username and password, along with security questions, will help you recover your account if needed. 

Important Tips 

• Each FSA ID must be unique. If you’re a dependent student, your parent will need their own FSA ID to sign your FAFSA. 

• It may take 1-3 days for Social Security Administration confirmation before your FSA ID is fully active for tasks beyond initial FAFSA submission. 

• Forgotten username or password? Use the “Forgot My Username” or “Forgot My Password” links to receive a recovery code via your verified email or mobile number, or answer your challenge questions. 

Contributors, often parents, are those who will assist with the financial expenses of your education. When adding contributors to your FAFSA, have the following information ready:

• First and last name 

• Social Security Number (SSN) (if they have one) 

• Date of birth 

• Email address (or mailing address, if they don’t have an SSN) 

To avoid processing issues, enter contributor details exactly as they appear on their Social Security card or legal ID. Avoid extra spaces or special characters in names. If a contributor has a suffix (e.g., John Paul Jr.), leave it out of the invitation. Additionally, if they already have a StudentAid.gov account, ensure that the information matches exactly.

When completing your FAFSA, you’ll answer questions that identify who needs to be a contributor. You can review these requirements in advance to start gathering the necessary information. 

• Who is considered a parent
• Who is a contributor (video) 
• Contributor information 

Your dependency status on the FAFSA determines whose information you need to provide: 

• Dependent students report both their own and their parents' information. 

• Independent students report only their own information (and their spouse’s, if married). 

Including parents' financial information as a dependent student helps determine eligibility for federal aid—it doesn’t mean parents are required to contribute financially. 

In order to make your FAFSA information available to IU Indianapolis, you'll need to add that school's Federal School Code. Once your FAFSA is processed, you can add or delete a school through the following steps:

1. Log in and go to your account Dashboard. 
2. Select the submitted FAFSA form. 
3. Select the processed FAFSA submission in the “My Activity” section. 
4. Select the “Add or Remove Schools” button. 
5. Search for the school by entering either the school code or the state, city, and/or school name and then select “Search.” 
6. Select the school from the search results. The school’s Federal School Code will appear in the form. 
7. Submit the update.