Posted on Friday, October 2, 2026
Is my FSA ID the same as my FAFSA login? Does my student need one too? Why does a form for fall 2027 want my 2025 taxes? And how did I end up locked out before I even started? Ugh!
If that's you, take a breath. Lots of families have been there.
The good news? The questions on the FAFSA usually aren't the hard part. What trips families up is the logistics around it: keeping logins straight, using the right tax year, and making sure every parent actually signs. Get organized on those few things, and the filing itself usually takes less than half an hour.
In How Involved Should I Be in My Student's Application? we said the FAFSA is the one part of this process that genuinely belongs to both of you. This post is the how-to that goes with it: what to do, in what order, and where families most often get stuck.
This is the question we hear most, so let's settle it first. If your student starts college in fall 2027, you'll file the 2027–28 FAFSA, which opens October 1, 2026. It uses your 2025 federal tax return, the one you filed this past spring.
That feels backwards to a lot of parents. Why would a form about 2027 care about 2025? The answer is the "prior-prior year" rule: the FAFSA looks back two years so families can file their FAFSA in the fall with a tax return they've already finished. You don't need to wait to file your 2026 tax return, and you shouldn't.
If your family's finances look very different now than they did in 2025, file anyway with the 2025 numbers. We'll come back to what to do next.
Before anyone opens the FAFSA, the student and each parent who needs to contribute information, must create their own StudentAid.gov account. You may still hear it called an "FSA ID." Your username and password are how you log in, and they're also your legal signature on the form.
Three rules save a lot of grief:
Important for students: Don't use your high school email address. Schools deactivate those after graduation, and you'll need this account every year you're in college. Use a personal email you'll keep.
Good to know: A parent without a Social Security number can still create an account and complete their part. And write your login down somewhere safe - you'll use it again every year your student is in college
Learn more: Key facts about your StudentAid.gov account
The FAFSA calls everyone who provides information a contributor, and it has a precise definition of parent: a biological, adoptive, or stepparent. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and legal guardians don't count, even if the student lives with them and they're the ones paying for everything. We know that can feel unfair. It's the federal rule, and our office can talk you through your family's situation.
Here's how it usually works:
Each contributor logs in with their own account to fill in their section and sign. The FAFSA can't be submitted until everyone has.
If you filed a FAFSA years ago for an older child, you may remember the "IRS Data Retrieval Tool." It's gone. Now the FAFSA pulls your 2025 tax information directly from the IRS. You won't type in your adjusted gross income or hunt for line numbers.
There's one catch: every contributor has to give consent for the IRS to share their information. That means the student and each parent, and it's required even if you didn't file taxes. If anyone skips it, your student won't be eligible for federal aid until they go back and give it.
Tip: Keep your 2025 return and W-2s nearby anyway. The form still asks a few questions the IRS can't answer, like current bank balances and child support received.Two dates worth real money
The federal FAFSA deadline isn't until June 30, 2028, which is exactly why families put it off. The dates that matter come much sooner.
April 1, 2027| $1,000 Westminster FAFSA Filing Grant.
File your FAFSA and submit it to Westminster (school code 003392) by April 1, and your student is eligible for a $1,000 grant from Westminster College. That's $1,000 for doing something you were going to do anyway.
May 1, 2027 | PA State Grant.
Pennsylvania residents must file the FAFSA by May 1 to be eligible for the PA State Grant.
Here's the part families miss: the FAFSA alone isn't enough. You also need to apply for the PA State Grant separately through PHEAA. Apply for the PA State Grant.
Our advice: file in October or November and both dates take care of themselves.
“Saved” is not “Submitted”
Before you close the tab, make sure the FAFSA shows as submitted. Remember, it can't be submitted until every contributor has signed.
Within a few days you'll receive a FAFSA Submission Summary by email. Read it. Typos in a Social Security number or a missing school are easy to fix on StudentAid.gov, but only if someone notices.
When StudentAid.gov sends your FAFSA information to Westminster, we'll email you to let you know it's been received. That's your confirmation that we have what we need to start on your student's financial aid offer. Keep an eye on your inbox after that, too: sometimes we'll ask for an additional document.
And if your income has dropped since 2025, whether from a job loss, high medical bills, or a divorce, call us. Ask about a special circumstances review. The FAFSA only sees what happened in 2025. We can look at what's happening now.
Here's the shortest version of this post: create your accounts this week, sit down together sooner rather than later, and have everyone give IRS consent. Everything else is details, and details are what our office is here for.
If the form throws you a curve, call us. Walking families through the FAFSA is a normal Tuesday for our team.
Westminster College Office of Financial Aid finaid@westminster.edu · (724) 946-7102
For a one-page version you can keep beside you while you file, see our FAFSA Quick-Start Guide.
Regene King is Westminster College's Director of Financial Aid, leading the Office of Financial Aid. She's been helping Westminster students with their financial aid since 1999.
Companion post: How Involved Should I Be in My Student's Application?
Related: FAFSA Quick-Start Guide | What college really costs: the Affordability page.
