FAFSA
What is the FAFSA?
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is an application you fill out annually to determine how much federal financial aid you’re eligible for. The FAFSA will ask you things such as your parents’ income, tax information and other financial information.
The FAFSA is officially open for the 2024–2025 academic year! If you have questions about completing the FAFSA, visit studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out or call 1-800-4-FED-AID.
Why do I need to submit a FAFSA?
The FAFSA enables a partnership between you, ASU, and the Department of Education. When you submit a FAFSA, you ensure that you are being considered for the maximum amount of aid to help pay for college.
You and your family
Your family needs it to know what college will cost once financial aid sources are factored in.
The department of education
The federal government needs it to determine if you’re eligible for federal Pell grants.
Your college or university
ASU needs it to offer you need-based aid from the university.
What do the FAFSA simplification changes mean for me?
Several changes to the FAFSA went in to effect in the 2024-2025 aid year. The FAFSA will be available Dec. 1, 2024 for students enrolling in the fall 2025 semester. Here is what you need to know right now about the FAFSA updates.
Streamlined application
For most students there will be less than half of the questions than on prior FAFSAs. A direct data share from the IRS to the FAFSA has been implemented to simplify the student and parent experience.
Introducing contributors
A contributor is anyone who is required to provide information and consent on the FAFSA. This includes the student and, depending on the student situation, may also include their parent, parent’s spouse or student’s spouse.
FSA ID requirement
All contributors must have their own FSA ID to complete their section of the FAFSA. If you have not already, create your FSA ID today.
How do I submit my FAFSA?
To file your FAFSA, go to FAFSA.gov. You will need the following:
- Bank statements and records if applicable
- Alien registration number (if you are not a U.S citizen)
- Tax returns, W-2s and other records of money earned from the prior-prior tax year.
- Your Social Security number.
- Record of untaxed income (if applicable).
- A FSA ID to sign your FAFSA electronically. (If you're a dependent, your parent will to create one, too.)
Which FAFSA year?
Tip: Your FAFSA application will ask you things such as your family’s income and how many people are in your family. These questions help determine how much aid you’re eligible for. You have to submit a FAFSA every year because circumstances can change. But don’t worry, it takes only about 30 minutes to fill out the FAFSA application and there are plenty of resources to help you. Start with this FAFSA guide.
Frequently asked questions
ASU’s Federal School Code is 001081.
There are no income requirements to be considered for federal student aid. Many factors beyond income are important to determine eligibility, so we recommend that all students complete a FAFSA to be considered for the maximum amount of aid
Yes, students can file a FAFSA to receive financial aid for graduate school. Graduate students are considered independent and do not have to report parent or guardian earnings to be eligible for federal student aid.
Most international students are not eligible to receive federal student aid, but there are opportunities to find private aid, such as scholarships. The FAFSA is open to U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens.
Any student who wants to apply for financial aid and who can complete the FAFSA, should complete the FAFSA. However, a student must have a Social Security number to complete a FAFSA application and some of the students who are impacted by Prop. 308 may not be eligible to complete the FAFSA. Students can visit ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10009.pdf for more information on how to obtain an SSN.
CSS Profile: CSS Profile is an online application used by colleges to award nonfederal institutional aid. The tool helps us determine eligibility and understand your specific financial situation. CSS Profile is available to qualifying domestic noncitizens who are unable to complete the FAFSA. ASU's CSS Code is 4007.
Please note: If you are eligible to submit the FAFSA, do not submit a CSS Profile application.
Starting with the 2024–2025 FAFSA, a new term called “Contributor” has been introduced. A Contributor is someone who is required to provide information on a student’s FAFSA form. This can include:
- The student.
- The student’s biological or adopted parents.
- The student’s spouse.
- The parent’s spouse.
It’s important to note that a Contributor does not include:
- A grandparent.
- Foster parents.
- Legal guardians.
- Brother or sister.
- Aunt or uncle.
Even if individuals from the above list helped provide for or raise the student, they are not considered Contributors for the FAFSA form.
It’s crucial to understand that having someone listed as a Contributor on the FAFSA form does not imply financial responsibility for the student’s education cost.
The parent that is included on the FAFSA as a Contributor should be the parent that provides the most financial support to the student.
Go to studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch and follow the steps to create an account. The student and the Contributor will each need their Social Security number, a valid email address and a phone number in order to complete the identity verification steps. Watch this video for a step by step explanation.
Yes — Contributors that do not have a Social Security number will still need to create a FSA ID. Follow these steps to create an FSA ID without a Social Security number.
- Go to studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch and select Get Started.
- Complete your personal information, including a valid email address.
- Select I do not have a Social Security number.
- A warning will pop up — click Continue without a SSN.
- Input the required personal information, ensuring you provide a valid email address and phone number.
- Confirm that all information is correct and set up two-step factor verification for future access.
- Answer the Identity Verification questions. If you successfully answer the questions, your FSA ID will be created. If the FSA ID cannot be created, a case number will be provided.
- FSA will send an email that will include guidance on documentation required to confirm identity, as well as an additional form to complete to verify identity
- Once identify is confirmed, FSA will send an email confirming account creation
Each Contributor must provide consent on the FAFSA or the FAFSA will be incomplete and you will not be eligible for financial aid.
What happens after I submit my FAFSA?
We may need help confirming information on your FAFSA so you get the right financial aid. This is called ‘verification,’ and it’s a common thing. If we need more information, you’ll be contacted. We hit pause on processing your financial aid during this time but start up again after you’ve submitted the documents we need.
ASU FAFSA calendar and deadlines
December 1
FAFSA opens
The FAFSA opens for the following year. The earlier you submit, the more financial aid you’re likely to get. Get started on yours as soon as possible.
January 15
FAFSA priority date
Submit your FAFSA before ASU's priority filing date of Jan. 15 to maximize the amount of aid you receive. Eligible students who apply by this date have a greater chance of receiving need-based aid.
Which FAFSA year?
Incoming on-campus students
Incoming on-campus first-year and transfer students
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Incoming graduate students
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Incoming military/veteran students
Connect with your Pat Tillman Veterans Center team member.
Incoming International students
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Incoming ASU Online students
Call us at
1-855-278-5080
or visit the My ASU Help tab to email a specific question.
Current students
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1-855-278-5080
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