The FSA ID (or Federal Student Aid ID) is the login and electronic signature process used by the Department of Education.  Students, parents, and borrowers use the FSA ID to apply for federal student aid, sign their FAFSA, and access any federal student aid records online. To sign up and access the federal financial aid systems, you need to create an FSA ID.  Since the FSA ID serves as your electronic signature, it is unique to each person.  For the FAFSA process, each student and either one or both dependent students’ parent will need an FSA ID before completing the FAFSA.  The student and the parent do not share an FSA ID. The new FAFSA Simplification process may require both parents to have an FSA ID and password. The most common situation where this would occur is when parents are filing their taxes separately, as married couples. For the FAFSA submission, families will be required to opt in to the IRS integration.  This process will directly import the student’s and parents’ tax information into the FAFSA from the IRS data.  Students and parents must opt in during the FAFSA submission for the FAFSA to be submitted to the schools, and also for the student to qualify for need-based financial aid. Reviewing the Prior Prior tax information will help you understand who needs an FSA ID.  For FAFSA 2026-2027, the tax year used is 2024. This verification process replaced the FAFSA PIN in 2015. If you are a borrower who has not accessed your federal loan history since May 10, 2015, you will need an FSA ID. It is a different login than your loan servicer’s login.  It is necessary for loan consolidation and loan forgiveness processing. To apply, individuals need to visit the StudentAid.gov website.  Over the past few years, the Department of Education has centralized many of its segmented websites.  Most need-based federal financial aid and student loan information is now located here.  The FSA ID login process authenticates users and allows the borrower to access StudentAid.gov websites.  In 2023, the government added a double-authentication procedure for users’ security. The FSA ID login process enhances user security by enabling the students, parents, and borrowers to create a user-selected username and password.  The FSA ID eliminates the need for individuals to enter personal identifiers, such as Social Security numbers, names, and dates of birth, each time they log in. The person now enters less personal information with this single sign-on process.  The FSA ID is similar to most other secure login systems used for banking and credit cards.

FSA ID Username and Password

• Valid email address (an email that you will have in the future)
• Username
• Password requirement
• Upper Case
• Lower Case
• Number
• Special Character
• Social Security Number

Creating an FSA ID requires the person to input the following information:

1. Enter a valid email address – I highly recommend using a personal email address and not a school email
2. Create username and password (Need Upper case, lower case, a number, and a special character)
3. Enter Social Security, Date of Birth, and current name on Social Security
4. Answer a series of security questions as follows:
   • 2 General Challenge Questions (System Options)
   • 2 Personal Challenge Questions (Person creates both question & answer)
   • 1 Special date (Date other than birthday)
5. Review and confirm
6. Email verified now by inputting the 6-digit secure code (code will be sent to your email)
7. Double Authentication processing began 7/1/2022 and requires your cell number
8. Hit acceptance of the terms and conditions
9. At this point, the FSA ID is created.
10.  It will take 3-5 days to be verified by the Social Security Administration

Email Importance

When setting up the FSA ID, a person is required to input an email into the system.  I suggest providing a personal email address and keeping it up to date.  If the username or password is lost, having a valid email will make retrieval easier.  For future notifications and service assistance, an email address is required.  Additionally, a verified email address can serve as your username when logging into certain U.S. Department of Education websites. Maintaining this information can be crucial, especially if there are gaps in the educational process. If a person forgets their username and password, you can still obtain this information by answering 3 of the challenge questions you put earlier into the system.   These steps are all part of the authentication process.  As of 7/1/2022, a cell phone number is requested so that a double authentication process can be used when accessing your FAFSA and loan data. With the FSA ID sign-up, you will send a verification code to confirm your email address.  The Department of Education will send a 6-digit code to your email, which you must enter into the FSA ID system after receiving it. This step is just another added security change. Your FSA ID account will periodically expire.  The password needs to be changed every year for added security, and is a reason to select an email you will have for an extended period.

Keeping Contact Information Updated and IRS Integration

Users should keep their contact information up to date with the new IRS data integration and FAFSA Simplification.  We recommend that your tax mailing information, StudentAid.gov, and loan servicer contact information match exactly.  This process will minimize any matching errors with the new integrations.

FAFSA Submission Summary

After the FAFSA submission, you will receive an email notice that your FAFSA has been processed and is ready.  Students and parents will get periodic notifications when changes are made.  The FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) is a report that displays the current information submitted and should be reviewed once it becomes available.  You will log in electronically using your FSA ID and password. Once logged in, the SAI or estimated eligibility for financial aid will be available.

FSA ID and Password Summary

The Department of Education designed the FSA ID to simplify the process.  On the government website, studentaid.gov, families can find a list of frequently asked questions for families to review.  Throughout the screens, icons describe what fields are required. On the StudentAid.gov website, individuals can complete the FAFSA, view their loan inventory, and submit the loan forgiveness form, among other options. The StudentAid.gov website will only have federal student loan data.  If you plan to use a private loan to help supplement the cost of paying for college, that information will not be available there.  A credit report is the only way to see all your student loans if you have both.  If you are considering using private loans for college expenses or refinancing, PayForED can also assist with our Private Loan Marketplace.