Skip to main content

Pro Tips for the 2024–25 FAFSA® Form

Use these tips to help you successfully complete the 2024–25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form.

  • Get a StudentAid.gov account before filling out the FAFSA® form. Before starting the FAFSA form, you’ll need to create a StudentAid.gov account to access and fill out the 2024–25 form.
  • Have your documents ready. Be prepared so you can complete your form in one session. You might need the following documents as you fill out the 2024–25 form:
    • 2022 Tax returns
    • Records of child support received
    • Current balances of cash, savings, and checking accounts
    • Net worth of investments, businesses, and farms
  • Have your contributor information ready. To invite contributors to your FAFSA form, you’ll be asked to provide their
    • first and last name,
    • SSN (if they have one),
    • date of birth, and
    • email address (or mailing address, if they don’t have an SSN).
  • You (the student) should complete your section of the form first. We strongly recommend that you (the student) start the form and complete your section first to save time and prevent errors.
  • Read questions and definitions carefully. There have been major updates to the FAFSA form for the 2024–25 award year, and many questions and definitions have changed. When filling out your form, read each question and definition carefully.
  • Consult in-form resources if you need help. Use the help text and help articles (accessible via the question mark icon) embedded in the form if you’re not sure how to answer a question. Changing your answers to questions that impact your eligibility for aid may create errors in the form. If you change your answer to any of the following questions, you may need to delete your form and start over to fix the error.
  • Don’t forget to review, sign, and submit the form! Review your answers prior to submission. Protect against form glitches or typos by reviewing all of your answers prior to submission. You can review all of the answers you provided in your section on the review page, which you’ll see before you provide your signature.