Filing the FAFSA is the first step to finding money for college. The new FAFSA opening date for 2023-24 starts October 1st, 2022. Receive free assistance with the application process in this hybrid FAFSA workshop. The workshop will be hosted in person at College Depot or streamed live via Microsoft Teams. This workshop will go line-by-line through the FAFSA to guide students as they complete it. Creating an FSA ID for the student and parent before this workshop is necessary in order to be able to track along with the presentation. 

To complete the FAFSA application, you will need:

• Social Security Number or Alien Registration Number*
• 2021 federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned (e.g., IRS 1040, 1040EZ, etc.)
• Records of investments, veterans’ benefits, and/or untaxed income (if applicable)
• Parents’ information (if applicable): Parents’ date of birth; Month and Year of marriage/divorce
• A Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) to electronically sign your FAFSA. (If you do not already have one, visit https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id to obtain one.)

*Social Security cards issued for work purposes only are not FAFSA eligible (e.g., DACA recipients)

If a student is considered dependent, they will also need their parent/guardian's financial information. A student is considered independent if they answer YES to any of the following. Otherwise, they are considered dependent:

• Age 24 or older by Dec. 31st of the award year
• Married
• Working on a master’s or doctorate degree
• Current active member or veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces
• Have children or dependents (other than a spouse) who received more than half of their support from you