If you need help paying for your college education, filling out the FAFSA is the first step. The FAFSA helps schools determine a student's eligibility for federal aid and may be used by states and institutions to evaluate other aid.
Financial aid plays a large role in how many US students pay for college. In the 2023-24 school year, about 85.5% of first-time full-time students had some form of financial aid, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES). In fiscal year 2025, $135 billion dollars were allocated for federal student aid including more than $39.2 billion in Pell Grants, and $93.1 billion in student loans, according to data from the US Department of Education.[1] [2]
Filling out the FAFSA incorrectly or making mistakes can cause issues in a student getting the financial aid for which they may be eligible. We’re here to help you avoid costly errors that can make paying for your college education more difficult.
What is the FAFSA?
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an application which students fill out to determine their eligibility for financial aid from the US Department of Education, including federal student loans, federal grants, work-study, and scholarships. The FAFSA asks questions about your income and assets, including your parents or guardians (if applicable), and spouse (if you’re married). The easiest way to fill out the FAFSA is online.
Students must fill out the FAFSA every year in which they apply for federal financial aid. Once you complete the FAFSA, you will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary, which is also sent to the colleges and universities to which you have applied. This report is also sent to state agencies which fund financial aid programs. The schools use the information in the SAR to create financial aid packages for you to consider. If you need help paying for college, filling out the FAFSA correctly is an essential first step. Here are the most common errors which you should avoid to prevent delays or issues with receiving financial aid.
Not Registering for FAFSA ID
In order to complete and submit the FAFSA, you’ll need to get your own Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID). If you are a dependent, your parents, guardians, or other contributors to the FAFSA will also need to create their own FSA ID. Anyone who fills in financial information on the FAFSA is considered a contributor. If you or your parents have not created a FSA ID in the past, you should create a FSA ID as soon as possible in the process so you can submit the FAFSA with no delays. Creating a FSA ID only takes a few minutes online, the process can take up to three days to complete. While information is confirmed through the Social Security Administration and Internal Revenue Service.
Missing the FAFSA Deadline
The federal FAFSA deadline is June 30 each year. Some states may have a different deadline, and some vocational and trade schools may also have their own deadlines. You’ll need to submit your FAFSA early to maximize your access to federal grants, student loans, work-study, and other financial aid. If you miss the application deadline for your state or college, you could be ineligible for financial aid, or miss out on student loans with more favorable interest rates or repayment plans. Some state, institutional, and campus-based aid programs may be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
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Filling Out the FAFSA for the Wrong Year
The deadline for the FAFSA is June 30th every year, but you should confirm which academic year you’re applying for. For example, for the 2026-27 award year, you can complete the FAFSA form between October 1, 2025 and June 30, 2027. The FAFSA form will default to a specific school year, but you should confirm that you’re submitting information for the correct year.
Entering Your SSN Incorrectly
It’s easy to accidentally transpose numbers in your Social Security number. This can cause many problems and cause your FAFSA to be rejected. Double check to make sure you are entering your SSN correctly.
Also, make sure you are entering your driver’s license number or identification card number correctly!
Not Using Your Legal Name
The name you fill out on your FAFSA should match the one on your Social Security card. Don’t use nicknames, use your full legal name as it appears on your Social Security card exactly to avoid issues with your application.
Not Using Your Permanent Address
Don’t enter the wrong street address, use your permanent address. If using a mailing address from when you’re on vacation, on a temporary campus, or using an forwarding address, that can flag your FAFSA for errors.
Misreporting Your Income Tax
You and your family must report your income tax from two years prior on the FAFSA. This is for you and your parents if you’re a dependent, just you if you’re single, and you and your spouse if you’re married. For example, if you are completing the 2026-2027 FAFSA, you and your parents or guardians will report information from your 2024 tax forms. The online FAFSA form will pull information from the IRS database so the risk of putting the wrong year’s information is less than it was in prior years. Be sure to keep the correct year in mind and have your tax information from two years prior handy for reference.
Misreporting Your Income
Many people report their gross income (or their parents if they are a dependent) when filling out the FAFSA. Don’t do this! It can limit your financial aid award. The number you should be putting in this field is the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). You’ll find this number on your tax return for the appropriate year.
Reporting Household Information Incorrectly
Providing inaccurate household or family information on the FAFSA may affect the processing of your application or your eligibility for financial aid. Carefully review all household-related questions and follow the FAFSA instructions to ensure the information you provide is accurate and complete.
Not Reporting Your Marital Status Correctly
You must report the marital status you have on the day that you file the FAFSA. If you are legally married, the Department of Education will want to know the financial information of your spouse to determine your potential financial aid.
Not Listing the College
Each college and university has a Federal School Code that is used for the FAFSA. The Federal School Code for Campus is 008680. Be sure to list the school code for each educational institution to which you are applying.
Not Listing All the Colleges Where You’re Applying
Students can list up to twenty schools on the online FAFSA form and up to ten on the paper form. If you are seeking financial aid packages from different colleges, be sure to list all of them on the FAFSA for each year you are attending. Listing more than one school doesn’t affect how much you will receive in financial aid, but it leaves more doors open for your education. Some schools have a limited number of scholarships and grants available, so applying to several schools can allow you to receive the best financial aid packages possible. Be sure to list Campus’s Federal School Code (008680) on your FAFSA if you would like Campus to receive your FAFSA information.
Not Agreeing to the IRS Direct Data Exchange
The FAFSA requires information about your income and taxes. To qualify for federal financial aid, you must consent to the FUTURE Act-Direct Data Exchange, which automatically transfers federal income tax information from your Internal Revenue Service (IRS) account to the online FAFSA form. For most applicants, this is a quick, accurate way to get the correct information in your FAFSA.
Forgetting to Fully Sign the Form
Once your FAFSA is complete and ready to submit, all required contributors must electronically sign the form using their FSA ID. If your spouse, parent, or other required contributor is providing information on your FAFSA, they must also sign the form using their own FSA ID before it can be processed.
Reporting a 529 Account as a Student Investment Instead of Parent Investment
Only report the value of the 529 for the student for which you are filling out the FAFSA. Inadvertently reporting the 529 account value as a student investment can result in less financial aid for the student. When the value of a 529 is reported as a student investment, it inflates the Student Aid Index (SAI) by 10% to 20%. The higher the Student Aid Index number, the more your family will be expected to contribute and the less student aid you will receive. For comparison, when the value of a 529 is reported as a parent investment, it only inflates the SAI by 5.64%, meaning the student will receive more financial aid support.
Reporting Assets You Do Not Have to Declare
This one is for parents of students who are filling out the FAFSA, when the students live at home or are dependents. Parents have two protected assets which they do not have to declare: the value of the home they are living in, and the value of their retirement accounts as assets for purposes of the FAFSA. Reporting these two items as assets can inflate your total assets and limit the amount of financial aid you can receive.
Not Filling Out the FAFSA Each YEAR
Students must fill out and submit the FAFSA for each year they plan to attend college and wish to receive federal financial aid. This applies whether students are applying for Pell Grants, federal student loans, federal work-study, scholarships, or the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant. States and many colleges also use the form to determine their own aid.
If you fail to apply annually, it may result in a greatly reduced financial aid package. Keeping current with your FAFSA each year will help ensure your eligibility is evaluated for available financial aid programs. Check with your school’s financial aid office to find when to apply for a new FAFSA each year.
Campus: Helping Students Get a High-Quality Education
Campus is a new type of college, built for ambitious students who want to succeed in their professional career. We believe education should be accessible, so we’ve made the tuition for our Online Business Administration Degree below the Pell Grant maximum. For students who qualify for the maximum Pell Grant award, grant funding may cover all tuition costs for the program. Eligibility and award amounts vary by student. If you need advice on financial aid, reach out to our team for answers. We’re here to help you achieve your educational goals and prepare for your career.
Disclaimer: This blog is provided for informational purposes only. Financial aid eligibility, award amounts, deadlines, and FAFSA requirements are determined by federal and state agencies and may change. Students should consult StudentAid.gov and their institution’s financial aid office for the most current information.
[1] U.S. Department of Education, https://www.ed.gov/sites/ed/files/about/overview/budget/budget25/justifications/p-sao.pdf , Retrieved June 4, 2026.
[2] U.S. Department of Education, Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Summary, https://www.ed.gov/sites/ed/files/about/overview/budget/budget25/summary/25summary.pdf , Retrieved June 4, 2026.