Who is a Contributor?

“Contributor” is a new term on the 2024–25 FAFSA form. It refers to anyone (you, your spouse, your biological or adoptive parent, or your parent’s spouse) who’s asked to provide their information, consent and approval to have their federal tax information transferred automatically from the IRS into the FAFSA form (more on that later), and signature on your FAFSA form. Those who have been identified as a contributor, must make a studentaid.gov account. For more information on contributors visit https://studentaid.gov/articles/fafsa-changes-coming/

How to Create a Studentaid.gov Account

How to Create a Studentaid.gov Account Without a Social Security Number

Once a studentaid.gov account has been created we recommend waiting up to 3 days for your account to verified by the Social Security Administration before using your account to complete the FAFSA.

To check the status of your account verification log into your Studentaid.gov Account and click on your name icon in the upper right corner of the screen. Select “Settings” from the dropdown, then select “Personal Information”. At the top of this page, your SSA verification status will say “matched” with a green check mark once the account verification has been completed.