FAFSA - create account for student or parent?

Applying to College
1

When setting up an account, do i set it up in my son’s name or my name?

2

(a FAFSA account)

3

son’s

4

The application belongs to your son. You will both (son and one parent) need an FSA ID.

What i kind of ironic is that at the end, your son will be asked if the parents have another child who needs to file the FAFSA and transfer all the parent info to another account if you want, so FAFSA at least recognizes that it is really the parent doing the majority of the FAFSA.

5

Yes! :smirk:
(It’s NOT an either/or choice).

You will have a parent account to supply your financial information, and your student will have their own account, to supply their information.

You certainly can take the lead with your parent account and once done, the student will be prompted to “complete” the application by logging into their account:

If your child is considered a dependent student, two unique FSA IDs are needed to complete the FAFSA® form online:

  1. Parent’s FSA ID
  2. Student’s FSA ID

We recommend that you and your child register for FSA IDs ahead of time, so you don’t experience delays later in the process.

https://studentaid.gov/articles/fafsa-for-parents/

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6

Yes, take this advice. My kids were in school when the new FSA ID rules came out so for some reason I was getting them for my 2 kids in me in June. One kid, no problem. Next kid and me? I put in a mistake in a birthdate for me so that took 2 tries and you have to wait a few days between each try. Second daughter took 3 tries. I entered something wrong, but because all the input boxes are **** out, I didn’t know what it was. Finally I erased the whole thing and started again and it worked.

So start early or do a better job of entering data than I did. Make sure you enter the name exactly as it is on the social security card.

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