Individuals who are unable to verify their identity through the knowledge-based questions or are in the process of identity validation can now proceed to access the FAFSA immediately upon requesting a StudentAid.gov account. Those without Social Security Numbers (SSNs) will need to manually input their tax information but are still able to submit their applications. However, it's important to note that all users without SSNs must complete the identity validation process even after submitting the FAFSA form..
Several workarounds are now available to allow students whose parents (called Contributors on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid) do not have Social Security numbers to submit a completed FAFSA form. You and your parent will need to follow specific instructions, detailed below, to make sure your FAFSA is successfully submitted.
ASU's priority FAFSA date is May 1. We understand that some students may face challenges in completing the FAFSA. If you are a student who has a Social Security Number but your parent does not, please rest assured that you will not be penalized if this results in delay of the FAFSA submission due to this known issue.
Essential Steps for Success
Contributor information entered during FSA ID account setup must match exactly with what is entered on the FAFSA form, including first, middle and last names as well as mailing address. Punctuation and abbreviation mismatches — for example, Street vs. St, or Apt vs Apartment — can cause errors that prevent the parent from completing the FAFSA form.
Parents must enter their income information manually on the FAFSA. They will need to collect their current bank balance information, records of child support received, and 2022 tax and income documents before beginning the application.
Students need to create their own FSA ID at least three days before beginning the FAFSA so their identity can be verified with the Social Security Administration.
You may fall into one of three scenarios below:
You and your parents each need to create your own separate FSA ID accounts at studentaid.gov.
Contributors who do not have an SSN need to complete a few additional steps:
- Go to studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch and click Get Started.
- Complete your personal information, including a valid email address.
- Select I do not have a Social Security number.
- A warning will pop up — click Continue without an SSN. (Do not use your ITIN as a replacement for the Social Security number.)
- Input the required personal information, ensuring you provide a valid email address and phone number. We recommend taking a screenshot or picture of the information entered. That information will need to match exactly what is entered on the FAFSA.
- Confirm that all information is correct, and set up two-factor verification for future access.
- Answer the identity verification questions. If you successfully answer the questions, your FSA ID will be created.
- If identity cannot be verified, additional steps are required. Federal Student Aid will send an email that includes guidance on the documentation required to confirm identity, as well as an additional form to complete to verify identity. You do not need to wait on the identify verification to start the FAFSA.
Once you and your parent have your FSA IDs, it is recommended that your parent start the FAFSA form at studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.
Your parent begins by entering all their information exactly as they did when they created their FSA ID. After they input their income information, they will invite you (the student) to complete your portion of the FAFSA.
Make sure your parent completes their portion of the FAFSA exactly as they did when they set up their FSA ID, including:
- First and last name
- Date of birth
- Email address
- Mailing address
Spelling and any abbreviations used must match exactly. For example, if your parent abbreviated their address with St. or Ave. during FSA ID setup, they must also use that abbreviation when filling out the FAFSA to avoid any mismatches.
Once you and your parent have your FSA IDs, it is recommended that your parent start the FAFSA form at studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.
Your parent begins by entering all their information exactly as they did when they created their FSA ID. After they input their income information, they will invite you (the student) to complete your portion of the FAFSA.
Make sure your parent completes their portion of the FAFSA exactly as they did when they set up their FSA ID, including:
- First and last name
- Date of birth
- Email address
- Mailing address
Spelling and any abbreviations used must match exactly. For example, if your parent abbreviated their address with St. or Ave. during FSA ID setup, they must also use that abbreviation when filling out the FAFSA to avoid any mismatches.
If you tried to submit a FAFSA previously and received error messages, you will need to delete the FAFSA you started and try again. On the upper right corner of the FAFSA is the FAFSA Menu with a vertical ellipsis icon to select that gives you the option to delete.
Your parent should start the process of filling out the FAFSA this time.
Your parent begins by entering all their information exactly as they did when they created their FSA ID. After your parent inputs their income information, they will invite you (the student) to complete your portion of the FAFSA.
Make sure your parent completes their portion of the FAFSA exactly as they did when they set up their FSA ID, including:
- First and last name
- Date of birth
- Email address
- Mailing address
Spelling and any abbreviations used must match exactly. For example, if your parent abbreviated their address with St. or Ave. during FSA ID setup, they must also use that abbreviation when filling out the FAFSA to avoid any mismatches.
FAQs
We encourage you to complete the process online. Completing a paper FAFSA will delay ASU receiving your information.
If you have already completed a paper FAFSA, you should also submit a FAFSA via the online processes above to make sure ASU receives your information as soon as possible.
You will receive a confirmation email, and you can check your studentaid.gov account to make sure your FAFSA was submitted successfully. Your FAFSA Submission Summary will confirm that the FAFSA has been received by the U.S. Department of Education and will let you know what financial aid programs you may be eligible for.
In the next few months and once all issues with the U.S. Department of Education are resolved, your FAFSA may be reprocessed to link it with any tax information available from the IRS.
Watch your email for updates from the Department of Education.
Any data collected is protected. Your and your family's information will not be shared with any other government agency. Learn more about protected data and privacy.
The information on this page applies to dependent students with Contributors who do not have a Social Security number. There is currently no workaround for independent students who need to invite their spouse Contributor without an SSN. Check this webpage in the coming weeks for more information.
If your parents haven’t filed a tax return but made enough money in 2022 to be required to file, they will need to apply for an ITIN number to complete the tax information. Learn more about how to apply for an ITIN as the first step to completing the tax return.
You can make a correction to your form to add your parent's information now. Learn more about how to make FAFSA corrections.
What additional resources are available to complete the FAFSA if my Contributor does not have a Social Security number?
How Do I Create a StudentAid.gov Account If I Don’t Have a Social Security Number? FSA video
How do I verify my identity if I create an account and don’t have a Social Security number?