Get A Jump On Your College Journey, Create Your FSA ID Today.

Do you have a rising senior? If so, the summer is a good time to get a head start on your college journey. A great place to begin is setting up your FSA ID. A FSA ID is a requirement for students, parents, or borrowers using federal student aid. You will use this ID when completing the FAFSA in October. The student and one parent will both need their own FSA ID.

What you will need:

• A unique e-mail address, meaning only one e-mail address can be associated with each FSA ID.
  • A parent and student CAN NOT use the same e-mail address.
  • Consider creating a unique e-mail that you will keep for all four years of college. Do not use a high school e-mail address if you lose access to it after graduation.
• A unique username between 6-30 characters.
• A password with 8-30 characters, including upper and lowercase letters and numbers.
• Make sure the data you enter matches your Social Security Card exactly.

The process:

• Visit http://www.studentaid.gov and click create an account.
• Both a parent and student should each create a profile.
• Select four challenge questions and create answers.
• Verify your e-mail and mobile phone number.
• Save both sets of credentials in a safe place. I suggest using LastPass.

You and your senior can now apply for financial aid on October 1, 2021, when the FAFSA becomes available for the award year 2022-2023. It is crucial to complete the FAFSA as close to October 1 as you can to make sure you do not miss out on potential aid.

For help creating your FSA ID or how to pay for college, please schedule 30 minutes with Chuck Bates, CCFC, here.