ALT Steps for Parents Completing the FAFSA Form Important: We strongly recommend that students start their own FAFSA form and complete their sections first to save time and prevent errors.

ALT 1. Create an account and gather documents. You and your child each must have your own StudentAid.gov account to complete the FAFSA form. 2. Start the FAFSA form. Make sure you select “Parent” on the “Roles” page. 3. Complete the “Student Personal Circumstances” section. Enter your child’s information. They’ll receive an invite to the FAFSA form via email.

ALT 4. Provide consent and approval. Consent and approval for the transfer of federal tax information is required for the student to be eligible for federal student aid. 5. Complete the “Parent Demographics” section. Provide your marital status and state of residence in this section. 6. Complete the “Parent Finances” section. You may need to provide additional financial information, including federal benefits received; child support received; net worth of investments; and total of cash, savings, and checking accounts.

ALT 7. Invite your spouse as a contributor (if required). The form will prompt you to enter your spouse’s email address if they’re a required contributor. 8. Sign the FAFSA form. Review your answers before signing and completing your sections of the form. 9. Have your child provide their information, consent and approval, and a signature. Your child’s FAFSA form can’t be submitted until they log in at StudentAid.gov to complete the student sections.

ALT Steps To Complete the FAFSA Form: Student Edition 1. Create a StudentAid.gov account. Remember: Your contributor will also need their own account. 2. Start the 2026–27 FAFSA form. Be sure to select “Student” on the “Roles” page. 3. Provide consent and approval. This is required to be eligible for federal student aid. 4. Complete the “Your Personal Circumstances” section. 5. Complete the “Student Demographics” section. 6. Complete the “Your Finances” section. Your federal tax information imports directly into the form when you provide consent and approval. 7. List the schools you want your FAFSA information sent to. You can select up to 20 schools. 8. Enter your contributor’s email address to invite them to your FAFSA form. 9. Sign your 2026–27 FAFSA form. 10. Make sure your contributor completes the contributor sections of the form, provides consent and approval, and signs your FAFSA form.

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ALT Common FAFSA Mistakes. Not creating a StudentAid.gov account before starting your FAFSA form. Not completing the FAFSA form by your state or school deadline (whichever is earliest). Not providing consent and approval to have federal tax information transferred into the FAFSA form. Not inviting a required contributor and making sure they complete their sections of the FAFSA form. Forgetting to sign the FAFSA form.