FAFSA Guidance

Submitting a FAFSA

Individuals without Social Security Numbers (SSNs) must manually enter their 2022 tax information and can use flexibility around the identity validation process. 

There are reports that the FAFSA process is not working well or consistently for those without a Social Security Number. We encourage repeated attempts to obtain an FSA ID and submit the FAFSA online. On Tuesday, April 30, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education announced a resolution to allow individuals without a Social Security Number to complete the FAFSA online.

Typically, an individual must first validate their identity before they can enter tax information. Individuals who request a StudentAid.gov account and cannot validate their identity through the automated process must still complete the manual process to validate their identity. However, they will not have to wait to have their identity validation completed before they can use their StudentAid.gov account username and password to access and complete the online 2024-25 FAFSA form. Individuals who are currently awaiting the results of the identity validation process may begin using the StudentAid.gov account they created to immediately access the FAFSA.

• The above guidance is for individuals who are not the student submitting the FAFSA, but instead is for parents or spouses. Students without a Social Security Number are typically not eligible for federal financial aid (see this informationfor more detailed guidance related to who is eligible to obtain an FSA ID without a Social Security Number).