Filing the FAFSA this year? Here's what you'll need to make the process go smoothly. And it bears repeating: you probably don't need to file the FAFSA on Oct. 1.

FSA ID: Both the student and the parent need an FSA ID. Good news: these are now approved immediately, unlike in the past when you had to get your FSA ID ahead of time. Nonetheless, you can save yourself a future step by creating your FSA ID now, here.

Which parent needs an FSA ID?

• If the student's parents are married, only one needs it and it doesn't matter which one.
• If the parents are divorced, only the custodial parent for FAFSA purposes needs one. The custodial parent is the one who provides the most financial support. This doesn't necessarily mean the one who makes the most money.

Your and your student's 2024 tax return. The FAFSA will prompt you to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to automatically transfer data from your tax return to your FAFSA. However, there are a few line items you might need to enter manually:

• Any retirement account rollover that's on your tax return
• Education tax credits claimed
• Taxable scholarships received or work-study income (this is more often on the student's tax return than the parent's)

Totals of your assets for parents and students. Your assets are reported at their value on the date you file the FAFSA, so you'll need to look them up before you file. The FAFSA asks you to separate your assets into three categories:

• Cash, savings and checking accounts
• Investments including real estate
• Business and investment farms

It's helpful to make a list ahead of time of what accounts you have in each bucket. For example, do you have a high-yield savings account separate from your regular bank accounts? What about your 529?

If you have an investment property, business or farm, you'll want to calculate its net value: subtract all liabilities-- including both long term liabilities like a mortgage and current liabilities such as payroll, property taxes or other expenses you'll incur in the next 12 months-- from its current value.

You are not required to upload statements or other documentation of the value of these assets. However, you are required to be truthful in reporting them. For investment properties or businesses, I recommend saving a note of how you calculated the value in the event that your FAFSA is flagged for verification.

If you are filing the CSS Profile, you'll need some additional information:

• Retirement account balances
• Value of any trust, whether a revocable living trust or a trust for which you are the beneficiary
• Expected value of any outside scholarship the student is receiving
• Any tuition benefits the student receives from their own or their parents' employers
• Assets you held in the name of your children such as UTMA accounts
• 529 account balances for all of your children
• Market value, outstanding debt, purchase date and price of your primary residence
• Student loan or alimony payments
• Monthly housing payment (principal and interest only for homeowners)
• Any means-tested benefits received such as SNAP, WIC, food stamps, EBT, TANF, SSI, Medicaid or free & reduced lunch
• W-2s
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You'll also need to provide additional income information:

• Retirement and HSA account contributions (these may be on your W-2, your tax return or both)
• Social Security benefits not reported on your tax return, except those received by the student
• Alimony received, whether or not it's on your tax return
• Housing, food or other living allowances
• Other untaxed income including workers compensation, untaxed disability benefits or income from other family members

Once again, most people do not need to file the FAFSA or the CSS Profile on Oct. 1. You only need to file it immediately if you are eligible for any aid that is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. This is primarily state grants, although some colleges, especially those offering rolling admissions, prioritize earlier financial aid applications. Check with your state and the colleges you're applying to in order to verify if this pertains to you.

And finally, make sure you file at the official Department of Education website, here. The first F in FAFSA stands for Free-- it's free to file. Unfortunately there are loads of scam websites that purport to be the FAFSA but are in fact paid sites that will file your FAFSA for a fee. Also worth noting: the first letter of Profile is P and you pay for each college you submit it to.

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