What is the FAFSA ID?

Many families with students nearing college age have heard of the upcoming changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or the FAFSA as many know it. While these changes are largely impacting current families with juniors in high school, there is also an impact to senior families getting ready to complete the FAFSA as well as those of returning college students filling the form out again.

The change is to the way families are logging into the FAFSA and signing the application. The change is the FAFSA ID.

Related: Your Guide to the FAFSA >>

So what is the FAFSA ID? The government defines it as, "An FSA ID is comprised of a username and password and can be used to login to certain Federal Student Aid websites, such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)."

Essentially, the FAFSA ID is what families will use to sign into the FAFSA. It will also act as the electronic signature for the student and the parent. The FAFSA ID is replacing the four-digit PIN number that was previously used to represent a parent or student electronic signature.

Families can continue to log into the FAFSA using the student's personal information, including social security number and date of birth. The government notes that the FAFSA is now more secure since the FAFSA ID provides an alternative way of logging in that doesn't require such sensitive information. Of course, you do need to provide your social security number and other personal information to apply for the FAFSA ID.

To reiterate, the FAFSA ID is required of both the student and the parent that will be signing the FAFSA. Those parents that have multiple children attending college and thus are required to submit multiple FAFSAs can use the same FAFSA ID for each form.

You can go to this website to create your FAFSA ID. If you have questions regarding the FAFSA ID you can always send me an email, or you could check out the government's FAQs related to the FAFSA ID.