If your student is heading to college, there is one financial-aid task you don’t want to leave until the last minute: creating your StudentAid.gov account.

The FAFSA — Free Application for Federal Student Aid — is the form students complete each year to apply for federal financial aid for college. It is also used by many states and colleges when determining eligibility for their own financial aid.

But before you can complete and submit the FAFSA, you need to be able to log in to the federal student aid system.

That means creating an account at StudentAid.gov.

And here’s something many first-time college families don’t realize:

The student needs their own account, and a parent or other required contributor may need a separate account too.

Getting these accounts set up ahead of time can make FAFSA day much easier.

What Is a StudentAid.gov Account?

Your StudentAid.gov account gives you access to the U.S. Department of Education’s federal student aid website.

Students use their account to complete and sign the FAFSA, review federal student aid information, and later access information about federal grants and student loans.

Parents who are required to provide information on a student’s FAFSA use their own account to enter and approve their portion of the FAFSA.

Think of it as your personal login to the federal financial-aid system.

Step 1: Go to StudentAid.gov

Start at the official federal student aid website:

StudentAid.gov

Look for the option to Create Account.

Be careful when searching online. FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and completing the FAFSA through the federal government is free.

You should never have to pay a company simply to access or submit the FAFSA.

Step 2: The Student Creates Their Own Account

Your student should create their own StudentAid.gov account using their own personal information.

Parents: resist the temptation to create the account for them using your information.

The student’s account belongs to the student.

When creating the account, the student will be asked for identifying and contact information and will create login credentials for future access.

College Ready Tip:

Have your student use an email address they check regularly and expect to keep using.

Don’t automatically use a high school email address. School-issued email accounts may eventually be deactivated after graduation.

A personal email address is usually a better long-term choice.

Step 3: The Parent Creates a Separate Account

If a parent is required to participate in the student’s FAFSA, the parent should create their own StudentAid.gov account.

The parent should not use the student’s login.

Each person participating in the FAFSA should use their own account and credentials.

Depending on the family’s situation, FAFSA may identify one or more people as contributors.

A contributor could include a:

• Parent
• Stepparent
• Student’s spouse
• Parent’s spouse

Being identified as a contributor does not automatically mean that person is agreeing to pay for college.

It simply means that person is required to provide certain information and consent as part of the FAFSA process.

Step 4: Enter Information Carefully

This is not the place to rush.

Names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers when applicable, and other identifying information should be entered accurately.

Even a small difference — such as using a nickname instead of a legal name — can potentially create unnecessary problems.

Before submitting account information, double-check everything.

Step 5: Save Your Login Information Somewhere Safe

FAFSA isn’t something you complete once and never think about again.

Students generally need to submit a FAFSA for each year they want to be considered for federal student aid.

That means you’ll need your StudentAid.gov login again.

Store the username, password and account information somewhere secure where you’ll be able to find it next year.

And parents: don’t assume your teenager will remember the password a year from now!

Step 6: Don’t Wait Until the FAFSA Deadline

One of the biggest financial-aid mistakes families make is focusing only on the final FAFSA deadline.

There can be several deadlines to consider:

Federal FAFSA deadline

State financial-aid deadline

College priority financial-aid deadline

Scholarship deadlines

A college’s priority deadline may be much earlier than the federal FAFSA deadline.

Some financial-aid programs also have limited funding.

That’s why my advice is simple:

Don’t wait for the deadline.

Create your StudentAid.gov accounts ahead of time so you’re ready when it’s time to complete the FAFSA.

What Information Should You Have Ready?

When you’re preparing to create your account and eventually complete the FAFSA, start organizing your financial-aid information in one place.

Depending on your circumstances, you may need information related to:

• Student identification and contact information
• Parent or contributor information
• Tax and income information
• Assets
• Marital status
• Colleges the student is considering

You may not need every piece of information just to create the account, but getting organized now will make the FAFSA process easier later.

Parents: Let Your Student Be Part of the Process

It’s easy for parents to take over financial-aid paperwork because we want to make sure it’s done correctly.

But this is also a good opportunity for your student to begin taking responsibility for college-related tasks.

Sit together and create the accounts.

Show them where the information is stored.

Explain what FAFSA is and why it matters.

Have them participate in completing the application.

College readiness isn’t only about academics. It’s also about teaching students how to manage the administrative and financial responsibilities that come with college.

One More Important Reminder: FAFSA Is FREE

The word FREE is right in the name:

Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

You do not have to pay to submit the FAFSA.

Use the official federal website, StudentAid.gov, when creating your account and completing the FAFSA.

If you’re unsure whether you’re on the correct website, stop and verify before entering personal or financial information.

Your College Ready FAFSA Checklist

Before FAFSA season gets hectic:

✓ Student creates a StudentAid.gov account
✓ Parent/contributor creates their own account if required
✓ Use personal email addresses you will continue to access
✓ Double-check names and identifying information
✓ Store login information securely
✓ Find each college’s priority financial-aid deadline
✓ Check your state’s financial-aid deadline
✓ Gather financial information ahead of time
✓ Complete the FAFSA as early as practical

College Ready Tip

Don’t make “Complete the FAFSA” one giant task on your college checklist. Break it into smaller steps.

Start with:

Step 1: Create StudentAid.gov accounts.

Then gather your documents, identify your deadlines and complete the FAFSA when you’re ready.

A little preparation now can prevent a lot of scrambling later — especially when college application season is already filled with essays, applications, scholarships, campus visits and deadlines.

College is expensive. Don’t let missing a simple financial-aid step make it more expensive than it needs to be.