Aid Prep Checklist
Get ready for the FAFSA and financial aid, one item at a time.
About this checklist
The list follows the steps of the current FAFSA process: accounts, documents, filling in the form, and what happens afterwards. Your answers only change which items appear; for example, contributor steps appear only if your parents or spouse are likely to be involved.
What it can’t tell you: it doesn’t determine your dependency status or eligibility. The FAFSA’s own questions decide that, and rules can change between award years. If your situation is unusual (estranged from parents, recently homeless, a parent without a Social Security number), the school’s financial aid office can help. Walk through the form itself in our FAFSA guide.
Read alongside it
- How to Fill Out the FAFSA, Step by Step
- Grants, Scholarships, Work-Study and Loans: How Each One Works
- Going Back to School as an Adult: A Checklist for the First 90 Days
Your inputs are saved in this browser only so you can pick up where you left off. Clear or turn off storage.