FAFSA Guide - Completing the FAFSA in 10 Easy Steps
1 - Create Your FSA ID:
All contributors, including the student, must have an FSA ID, which is a username and password that grants access to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You can create this ID at any point in time. In fact, we recommend completing this step ahead of time! You will create your FSA ID and locate the FAFSA form at www.fafsa.gov!
Who is considered a contributor on your FAFSA? Learn more HERE.
2 - Begin the FAFSA Form and Verify Contact Information
Once you are logged on with your FSA ID, locate the menu, hover on “FAFSA form," and click “Complete the FAFSA form.” Locate the correct form and begin. If you are beginning school during the Fall 2025, Spring 2026, or Summer 2026 semesters, you need to complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA form.
When you begin, review and verify the contact information listed. Make any necessary updates. The next page will ask about your state of legal residence. If you have lived in a particular state all your life, the date you became a legal resident will be your date of birth.
3 - Provide Consent and Approval
The FAFSA will ask you to provide your consent and approval before you move on with the form. When you provide consent, you approve the transfer of your federal tax information directly from the IRS to the FAFSA. If you do not provide consent, you will not be eligible for federal aid. You must provide consent even if you did not file.
A note for later: Contributors to your FAFSA will also need to provide consent when filing out their portion of your form. Though they have the option to decline consent, that decision will make you ineligible for federal aid, with the exception of Federal Direct Unsubsidized loans.
4 - Answer Personal Circumstances and Demographics Questions
You will be asked a series of questions that will provide a more holistic understanding of your unique circumstances. You will also be asked questions about your race, gender, citizenship status, academic background, etc.
Demographic questions regarding race and gender have the option of selecting “prefer not to answer.”
5 - Provide Financial Information
These are not complex questions for which you will need tax forms. Instead, these questions will ask about benefits received, your tax filing status, etc. If you get stuck, there is a small information icon by the questions that you can click for additional explanations.
6 - Add Contributor Information/Invite Them to Fill Out Your FAFSA
Remember when we said all contributors must have their own FSA ID? The FAFSA is pulling information from the IRS for each contributor, so each contributor must grant approval for the retrieval. To invite your contributors, you will need to know their date of birth, Social Security Number, and email (try to use the email associated with their FSA account). Once you fill out this information, hit continue. The contributors listed should receive an invitation via email to fill out their section of your form.
7 - Add Colleges to Your FAFSA
Colleges that you are interested in attending must have your FAFSA on file before they are able to determine your aid eligibility. You can add up to 20 schools by name or by school code. University of the Cumberlands’ school code is 001962.
8 - Review, Sign, and Submit Your Form!
Once you have completed all sections, you will be asked to review the information entered. Take a minute to review. Hit continue, and go to the “sign and submit” portion of your form. Scroll all the way to the bottom and click the box that acts as an electronic signature. Once this box is checked, click “sign and submit.”
9 - Encourage Your Contributors to Accept Their Invitation and Complete Their Portion of the FAFSA!
Though you are done with your portion of the form at this point, it will be incomplete until your contributors complete their portions. Encourage them to begin and submit as soon as possible!
10 - If You or Your Contributors Need Help or Have Questions At Any Point, Use Your Resources!
The FAFSA is not meant to be complicated, but sometimes there are unique situations, technical difficulties, and other complications or misunderstandings. Know that you have people in your corner to assist you!
Studentaid.gov’s help number is 1-800-433-3243.
Cumberlands’ Student Financial Center is also available to assist. Their number is 606-539-4220, and their email is studentfinancial [at] ucumberlands.edu.
Note: Once your form is complete, your FAFSA information will be sent to the schools listed on the form. It can take around three to five business days for the schools to process your information.
Any university or college you add to the list will receive your information and will use this information to create a financial aid award offer for you. Make sure to include our school code 001962 so University of the Cumberlands is on your list!
