No, you should use the FSA ID you created previously. If you have any difficulty remembering or accessing that ID, please see the studentaid.gov website to retrieve your ID or reset your password.

The 'parent' that should contribute to the FAFSA is the parent(s) who provided the majority of the student's support over the 12 months prior to filing the FAFSA, even if the student does not live with that parent (i.e, if the student lives in an off-campus apartment full-time).

If both parents provided an exactly equal amount of financial support during the past 12 months, or if they don’t support the student financially, answer the questions about the parent with the greater income and assets. If this parent is remarried as of today, answer the questions about that parent and the stepparent.

If the parents are divorced or separated, live separately, and file taxes separately, then only the parent providing the majority of support to the student should contribute to the FAFSA. 

For example: Hooter Conwell's parents are divorced. He lives with his mom, but his dad makes more money and pays a portion of his tuition. However, his mom provides housing, insurance (health and car), and covers his other basic needs. Under this example, Hooter's mom should go on the FAFSA since she provides more support to Hooter despite his father making more money.

The 2026-27 FAFSA is now role-based and requires a student and/or parent complete their own sections using their own unique FSA IDs. The student should complete their section, then invite their parent as a contributor.

The Student Aid Index (SAI) is a replacement for Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and is a calculation of the amount of need-based financial aid a student is eligible to receive. SAI is simply a rebranding of EFC in an effort to more accurately reflect what the figure represents, which is the amount of financial aid a student is eligible to receive. In the past, EFC created confusion and led students to believe it was a calculation of what they were expected to pay.

No. Once students submit their FAFSA, they will immediately be presented with a link to access their PA State Grant application. They will need to complete the application, as the information will not be shared from the FAFSA.

Changes to the tax data transfer process have limited what information can be shared. The Dept of Education is no longer able to share tax data between federal and state applications.

You, the student, will receive an email confirmation noting the submission date, your SAI, and estimated Pell Grant eligibility (if applicable). You will then receive a FAFSA Submissions Summary once the application has been processed. Additional email notifications will be sent once the information has been sent to your chosen school.

This happens when the parent's information on their Studentaid.gov account does not match what is being entered. The parent contributor must have an FSA ID. If your parent does not have one, please have them create it.

Your parent can log into studentaid.gov, then click on their name in the upper right-hand corner, then select "Settings." The name, date of birth, and social security Number are saved under "Personal Information." Any changes to the name or date of birth can be made here. This information is matched against the Social Security Administration, so once the Social Security Number is confirmed, it cannot be changed.

Confirm the informaiton matches the invite. Check for spaces before and after names, confirm spelling, and make any necessary corrections to the invite.

If you confirm the information and continue to receive the error then please contact the Department of Education.