All U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible for federal student aid, but they must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, to qualify.
Which documents you'll need to fill out the FAFSA depend on several factors, including which school year you’re applying for and your family situation.
FAFSA checklist basics
Here are the documents you (and your parents or spouse) may need to fill out the 2026-27 FAFSA:
- Social Security number and an email address, so you can create a StudentAid.gov account.
- 2024 tax returns.
- Records of child support you received from your ex-spouse (if divorced).
- Current balances of cash, savings and checking accounts.
- Net worth of investments, businesses and farms.
Note that many schools and states set FAFSA deadlines a year or more earlier than the official FAFSA deadline. Most students can complete the FAFSA within 30 minutes, according to the Department of Education.
If you’re a dependent on someone’s taxes
If you’re a dependent on at least one of your parent’s taxes, you’ll need their information as well. What information you need to provide depends on your family situation.
If at least one parent claims you as a dependent on their taxes, how you include their information depends on if your parents are married or divorced. If your parents were never married, how you report their information depends on if they currently live together. Information for same-sex parents should be included in the same way that opposite-sex parents’ information is used.
If foster parents or legal guardians claim you as a dependent on their taxes, include their information as your parents when submitting your FAFSA.
🤓Nerdy Tip
If one or both of your parents are not U.S. citizens, you can still submit your FAFSA. If a parent doesn’t have a Social Security number, they can still create an account to submit their information. When they do, they aren’t asked about their citizenship status. If they haven’t paid taxes, they can enter income information without referring to a tax return.If you can’t contact your parents
The FAFSA makes exceptions if you are in a situation where you are unable to provide your parents’ information. Situations that might qualify include your parents are in prison, you left home to escape an abusive environment or you’re estranged from your parents but haven’t been adopted.
If you think your situation qualifies as an unusual situation that keeps you from providing your parents’ information, you can indicate this on your FAFSA. You’ll answer “Yes” to the question “Do unusual circumstances prevent the student from contacting their parents or would contacting their parents pose a risk to the student?”
If you're married
If you’re married and not separated from your spouse, you’ll need your spouse’s information as well. Your tax filing status determines how you use your spouse’s financial information, so check your previous year’s tax return to ensure you put their information in the right sections. If you and your spouse:
- Filed taxes jointly, you’ll include your spouse’s information in your FAFSA but won’t include them as a contributor.
- Filed taxes separately, you’ll include your spouse as a contributor and fill out a section for them.
