Completing the FAFSA

It is important to file the “Free” Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA each year. After completing the FAFSA, the student will be considered for many institutional and federal aid programs. Additionally, some scholarships will ask for information from the student’s FAFSA during the application process. If you have any additional questions about the FAFSA application, please call 1-800-433-3243 or visit the Student Aid Contact Center.

2025-2026 FAFSA

Students enrolling for the 2025-2026 academic year should file the FAFSA as soon as possible after the application opens.

• First-year and continuing students must submit their FAFSA by February 4, 2025 for consideration for priority aid.
• Transfer students must submit their FAFSA by February 25, 2025 for consideration for priority aid.

Why is the Priority Aid deadline important for the FAFSA?

Financial Aid programs like the ISU Grant and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity grants are all subject to meeting the priority deadline.  Filing after the priority aid deadline could mean you miss out on hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. You will still be considered for Federal Direct Loans and the Pell Grant, regardless of when you file your FAFSA.

Before Starting

• The official FAFSA website is studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Remember, the first F in “FAFSA” stands for “Free” — so use the official Federal site to submit your application.
• Create a Studentaid.gov account for all contributors. Please allow up to three days for the accounts to verify before attempting to complete the FAFSA. Reference our Studentaid.gov Account webpage for more information.

Documents to Have Available

• The student’s Social Security Number (SSN), and the parent SSN(s), if the student is dependent
• The student’s Permanent Resident Card (if the student is not a U.S. citizen)

The items listed below will be required for the student and parent (if the student is dependent). If the student is married, the spouse will also need these items.

2025 – 2026

• The 2025-2026 FAFSA will use information from the 2023 IRS tax year
  • Please have your complete 2023 Federal 1040 or your complete 2023 Tax Return Transcript available to enter tax data manually
  • Please also have copies of your 2023 W-2s available to enter in information to the FAFSA
• For those who did not file in 2023, please have the following available to enter information into the FAFSA
  • 2023 W-2s and/or other 2023 income statements
• If applicable have the following values available
  • Annual child support received
  • Current total of cash, savings, and checking accounts
  • Current net worth of investments, including real estate
  • Current net worth of businesses and investments

Filling Out the FAFSA

• Read the instructions carefully. The words “you” and “your” always refer to the student, whereas questions for parents will be specified
• Dependent students are required to provide information on their Legal Parents
• Always round to the nearest dollar, and do not use commas or decimal points
• When asked to list school codes, Iowa State University’s School Code is 001869
• Use a Currency Converter to report the value of foreign income in U.S. dollars
• List an email address frequently checked as you will receive communication at this address from FAFSA and ISU

What to Expect After Submitting a FAFSA

• Always keep a copy of the submission confirmation page for your personal records, as well as a copy of the FAFSA Submission Summary.
• Iowa State University (ISU) will send an email to the student, and parent of a dependent student, using the email address indicated on the FAFSA to acknowledge receipt of the student’s FAFSA information
• This email correspondence will provide the student with details regarding any action required on their part for ISU to process their FAFSA information. As this information is utilized in developing a student’s financial aid award, promptly providing requested documentation will be of ultimate benefit to the student. For more information on the FAFSA Verification process, if selected, please visit our Verification Page.