FAFSA

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is one of the best, easiest, and fastest ways to get money for college. The FAFSA is used to apply for federal student aid, such as federal grants, loans, work-study, and scholarships. In addition, colleges, universities, and other scholarship organizations might use your application to determine your eligibility for other aid.

The government takes the information you provide on this form and uses a formula established by law to calculate your Student Aid Index (SAI) which is an eligibility index number—a measure of your family’s financial strength. It takes into account your family’s taxed and untaxed income, assets, and benefits, such as unemployment or Social Security.

Here are reasons you should complete the FAFSA:

• It’s free. The application doesn’t cost you anything to complete.
• It’s easy. The application can be accessed online and has been simplified over the past few years.
• It’s fast. Results show that it takes most students less than 30 minutes to complete.
• It’s worth it. More people qualify for federal student aid than you think. Do not leave money on the table by not applying.
• It may be required. Many states, schools, and private scholarships require you to submit the FAFSA before they will consider you for any financial aid.

Check out these video resources:

How to Create an Account and Username (FSA ID) for StudentAid.gov

After the FAFSA: What Happens Next?

FAFSA: Determining Your Dependency Status

What’s Changed for the 2024-25 FAFSA Form

Even the simplest little error can cause a delay in your FAFSA application, so be sure to carefully read all the questions. Here are some more tips on how to avoid errors:

• Do not list an incorrect Social Security number or driver’s license number.
• If your parent(s) do not have Social Security numbers, list 000-00-0000.
• Use your legal name. Your name must be listed on your FAFSA as it appears on your Social Security card.
• Do not enter a temporary or summer address as your permanent address.
• Do not leave blank fields. Enter a “0” for numeric or “not applicable” for text.
• Be careful when using commas or decimal points in numeric fields (round to the nearest dollar).
• Do not list the adjusted gross income (AGI) as equal to the total income from working (the AGI is usually greater).
• If you incorrectly file income taxes as head of household, the school will need an amended tax return to be filed with the IRS before paying out financial aid awards.
• Be careful when listing your marital status. The Department of Education wants to know your marital status on the day you sign the FAFSA.
• Be sure to provide all information for your parent(s). If your custodial parent has remarried, you will need the stepparent’s information as well.
• List both legal parents on the FAFSA if they live in the same household, even if they are not married.
• An unborn child must be counted as a member of the household if that child will be born during the award year and you will provide the child with more that half of their support.
• Don’t forget to count yourself as a student (member of the household attending college during the award year).
• Remember to list the college you plan on attending by entering their federal school code. Purdue Fort Wayne’s school code is 001828.

• Submitting your FAFSA on time ensures that you are considered for all available aid that applies to you. Submitting it late may result in less aid being available to you.
• If you start attending school in the spring or summer at PFW, you should complete the FAFSA for the current year.  New aid years start in the fall.
• You can apply for financial aid prior to applying for admission. However, you must be admitted to a degree-seeking program (or a teacher’s certification program) before eligibility is calculated to receive financial aid.
• Students must invite any contributors needed to complete their portion of the FAFSA. A contributor could be the student, the student’s spouse (if applicable), a biological or adoptive parent, or the spouse of the remarried parent who is on the FAFSA—the stepparent. All contributors are required to have an FSA ID and must give consent to have their federal tax information uploaded from the IRS, or the student will not be eligible for federal aid.
• We recommend printing the FAFSA on the Web submission confirmation page as proof of completion. Keep this in your records. One of the most requested documents is a tax transcript. Get your tax return transcript from the IRS. If you have any FAFSA filing questions, you can contact FAFSA customer service agents at 800-433-3243. Live chat and email options are also available.
• Enter your name and Social Security number exactly as it appears on your Social Security card (include suffixes and your middle name/initial).
  • If you are a dependent student, provide your parent(s) name and Social Security number exactly as it appears on your Social Security card (including suffixes and middle name/initial).
  • If you are an independent married students, provide your spouse’s name and Social Security number exactly as it appears on your Social Security card (including suffixes and middle name/initial).

Am I Dependent or Independent?

Your answers to questions on the FAFSA® form determine whether you are considered a dependent or independent student. The questions change a little from one year’s application to the next year’s; for instance, the 2023–24 FAFSA form asks whether you were born before Jan. 1, 2000, while the 2024–25 FAFSA form will ask whether you were born before Jan. 1, 2001. Here are the questions that determine your dependency status, for 2023–24 specifically:

Dependency Status Questions on the 2023–24 FAFSA® Form

*Answer “No” (you are not a veteran) if you (1) have never engaged in active duty (including basic training) in the U.S. armed forces, (2) are currently a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) student or a cadet or midshipman at a service academy, (3) are a National Guard or Reserves enlistee activated only for state or training purposes, or (4) were engaged in active duty in the U.S. armed forces but released under dishonorable conditions. Also answer “No” if you are currently serving in the U.S. armed forces and will continue to serve through June 30, 2024.

*Answer “Yes’ (you are a veteran) if you (1) have engaged in active duty (including basic training) in the U.S. armed forces or are a National Guard or Reserves enlistee who was called to active duty for other than state or training purposes, or were a cadet or midshipman at one of the service academies and (2) were released under a condition other than dishonorable. Also answer “Yes” if you are not a veteran now but will be one by June 30, 2024.

**If you do not have a determination that you are homeless, but you believe you are an unaccompanied youth who is homeless or self-supporting and at risk of being homeless, answer “No” to the FAFSA questions concerning being homeless. Then contact your financial aid office to explain your situation. “Homeless” means lacking fixed or regular housing. You may be homeless if you are living in shelters, parks, motels, hotels, cars, or temporarily living with someone else because you have nowhere else to go.

What if I answered “Yes” to one or more of the questions above?
If so, then for federal student aid purposes, you’re considered to be an independent student and will not be required to provide information about your parents on the FAFSA form.

What if I answered “No” to every question?
If so, then for federal student aid purposes, you’re considered a dependent student, and you must provide information about your parents when you fill out the FAFSA form.

Note: Not living with parents or not being claimed by them on tax forms does not make you an independent student for purposes of applying for federal student aid. 

For a video resource, check out FAFSA: Determining Your Dependency Status.