How to Get Started:

FSA ID

What is the FSA ID?

• The FSA ID is a username and password used by students and parents to:

• login to U.S. Department of Education websites

• electronically sign documents

• Students and Parents will use it:• Every year to apply for federal student aid at fafsa.gov

• To receive a federal student loan

• To perform important activities as a federal student loan borrower, such as choosing a repayment plan or applying for a deferment

• Can set this up at any time (even before FAFSA opens on October 1st)

Does a parent need an FSA ID?

If the student is a dependent student, then they will need one parent to also get an FSA ID

IMPORTANT

• The student and parent must have different FSA IDs

• They must create their own FSA ID—it’s their electronic signature and they need to own it

• The student and parent should must use different e-mail addresses when creating an FSA ID (they can’t use/share the same e-mail address)

If any of the following criteria applies, the student is considered independent:

24 years or older

Married

Pursuing a Master’s or Doctorate Program

Children and you provide ½ support

In foster care since turning the age of 13

Emancipated minor

Currently or was in legal guardianship

Homeless or self supporting and at risk of being homeless

Veteran or serving active duty in U.S. Armed Force

FAFSA Dependency Status

Special Circumstances• Some examples of special circumstances are:

• Parents are incarcerated

• Left home due to an abusive family environment

• Unaccompanied youth who is homeless or in danger of becoming homeless

• Unsure of parents whereabouts

• Circumstances must be well documented

• Financial aid office has final say (professional judgement)

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/parent-info

Getting Started

Create Your FSA ID (Username and password)

E-mail:

• Each FSA ID must have a unique e-mail address (students and parents cannot use the same e-mail address)

• They must have access to this e-mail account

Username:

• Don’t include personal info such as date of birth or name

• If you see a message “Username taken, create a different username” then someone has already used that username

You can select “Show Text” to see what you’re typing

Provide Personal Information• Make sure their Social Security number, date of birth, and name match

what’s on their Social Security card• They must have a Social Security number to create an FSA ID.

Link Your PIN (if you have one)

• If the student and/or parent applied for federal student aid before May 2015, then they most likely had a 4-digit PIN—the FSA ID replaces the PIN; they can link your PIN to your FSA ID on this screen

• If they can’t remember their PIN, they can select “Forgot My PIN” and answer a challenge question or they can continue without linking your PIN

• If they didn’t have a PIN, they won’t see this screen

Provide Profile Information

• Confirm information entered previously and provide additional information

• Make sure the information is correct; any errors could result in a delay or problem in receiving financial aid (or the repayment of federal student loans)

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Select/Create Challenge Questions and Answers

Answering the challenge questions is one way to unlock their account or reset their username and password

Questions 1 and 2:• Select a question from the dropdown

menu and then enter their answer

Questions 3 and 4:• Make up their own question and

enter the answer• Make sure the answers will be easy to

remember• Examples of questions:

• What’s your mother’s maiden name?

• What color was your first car?

Question 5:• Enter a significant date• It can’t be their date of birth • Examples of dates:

• Favorite holiday• Sibling or parent date of birth

Sample QuestionsChildhood

• What was your childhood nickname?

• What is the name of your favorite childhood

friend?

Family

• In what city or town did your mother and father

meet?

• What is the middle name of your oldest child?

Favorites

• What is your favorite team?

• What is your favorite movie?

Favorites Historical

• What was your favorite sport in high school?

• What was your favorite food as a child?

Firsts

• What is the first name of the boy or girl that you

first kissed?

• What was the make and model of your first car?

Personal Characteristics

• What was the name of the hospital where you

were born?

• Who is your childhood sports hero?

Education

• What school did you attend for sixth grade?

• What was the last name of your third grade

teacher?

Work

• In what town was your first job?

• What was the name of the company where you

had your first job?

Source: http://goodsecurityquestions.com/types

Review Info and Agree to Terms

• Review and confirm their information

• If they need to make a correction, use the “Previous” button

• Review and agree to the terms and conditions for using your FSA ID

Verify Your E-mail• They will be taken to the E-mail

Verification page• Once they verify their e-mail, they can use

their e-mail address as their username when logging in to Department of Education websites

• They can also continue without verifying

How to Verify the E-mail• Do not close the E-mail Verification page• Have them login to their e-mail account

using a different tab or browser window or another device

• Look for an e-mail with the subject line, “Important: Your FSA ID E-mail Validation -Action Required”

• The e-mail will include a six-digit, numeric code that you will enter in the “Secure Code” data field

E-mail Verification Page

E-mail With Secure Code

Your FSA ID is created!• If they provided an e-mail

address, then they will receive a confirmation e-mail

Using the FSA ID• Students can log in to fafsa.gov

and complete, sign, and submit a new (original) FAFSA

• If they didn’t provide or link to a PIN, then their info will be sent to the Social Security Administration for confirmation

• SSA review will take 1-3 days• Until the info is verified, they

won’t be able to take certain actions, such as correct your FAFSA, submit a renewal FAFSA, or sign a Master Promissory Note.

Social Security Administration Matching

• They should receive an e-mail informing them of the results of the SSA review; If they did not provide an e-mail when creating your FSA ID, they can check the status by logging in at FSAID.ed.gov using the “Edit My FSA ID” tab

• If there is an issue, log in at FSAID.ed.gov using the “Edit My FSA ID” tab and review/update the profile info; If the info is correct, they will need to contact the SSA (to find your local SSA office, call 1-800-772-1213 or go to www.ssa.gov)

What to Do:

I Forgot My Username or

Password

Forgot My Username

• Select “Forgot My Username” at the Log In Screen• The appearance of the link may vary depending on what

website you are visiting

Edit My FSA ID Screen

FAFSA Log In Screen

Forgot My UsernameThey can retrieve their username by either:• Having a secure code e-mailed (enter the e-mail address associated with the FSA ID

account and click the “E-mail Secure Code” button)• Providing personal information and answering the challenge questions (click the

“Challenge Questions” button)

What to Do:

I’m Locked Out of My Account

Locked Out

If they’ve been locked out of their FSA ID account for providing the wrong username or password, they can unlock the account using either e-mail or the challenge questions

Locked OutOnce they successfully enter the secure code or answer the challenge questions, they will be taken to this screen to change your password