Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Before you can access the FAFSA form online, you’ll need to create a FSA account at StudentAid.gov. Every contributor must have their own FSA account to access and complete their sections of the FAFSA.

If you don’t have a Social Security number, you can still create an account. For more information, visit StudentAid.gov’s How to Get an FSA ID for Individuals Without a Social Security Number page.

Who is a contributor? 

A contributor is anyone required to sign the FAFSA and also provide information, consent, and approval for the transfer of federal tax information (FTI). 

Dependent students must provide parent information on the FAFSA form, and in most cases, a parent will be identified as a contributor on the form. Use StudentAid.gov’s Who counts as a parent on the FAFSA form tool for additional guidance.

The following documents are required of all contributors, if applicable: 

• Social Security number, date of birth, and email address for contributors
• Tax returns
• Records of child support received
• Current balances of cash, savings, and checking accounts
• Net worth of investments, businesses, and farms

Students are encouraged to begin their FAFSA form and invite any additional contributors that are needed.

1. Visit FAFSA.gov and select “Log In To Start a New Form.”
   1. Select “Log In To Edit Existing Forms” to make changes to your already submitted FAFSA. If you forgot your FSA ID username or password, visit FAFSA.gov’s What if I forgot my FSA ID username and password? page for your next steps.
2. Log in with your FSA ID.

Visit StudentAid.gov’s FAFSA Help page for answers to common questions.

1. List colleges and/or career schools. 
   1. Miami’s Federal School Code for all campuses is 003077.
2. Determine your dependency status.
3. Report parents’ information if you’re a dependent student 
   1. Use StudentAid.gov’s Who counts as a parent on the FAFSA form tool.
4. Report spouse’s information, if applicable.
5. Provide required financial information.
   1. Include information from tax forms and balances of savings and checking accounts.
6. Automatically transfer your tax information.
   1. The Direct Data Exchange (DDX) is a tool that allows you to consent for the exchange of federal tax information into your FAFSA. The process enables the FAFSA to retrieve income and tax data directly from the IRS. This capability ensures the most accurate information is reported on the applicant’s FAFSA.
   2. All contributors must provide consent and approval to have their federal tax information transferred into the FAFSA form.

After you complete your required section, acknowledge the terms and conditions and electronically sign. You can then submit your section of the FAFSA form. 

• Your FAFSA form will not be considered complete until all required contributors provide their information, give their consent and approval to transfer federal tax information into the form, and provide their signatures.
• After submitting the FAFSA form, you’ll see a confirmation page that displays your completion date, data release number, and next steps. You’ll also see your estimated Student Aid Index (a number used to determine your eligibility for federal student aid), estimated Federal Pell Grant eligibility, and information about other federal student aid for which you may be eligible. This confirmation page is emailed automatically to you for your records.
  • Note: The Student Aid Index on the confirmation page is only an estimate. The official Student Aid Index will appear on the FAFSA Submission Summary.

Check the status of your form by logging in to your StudentAid.gov Account and selecting your FAFSA submission from the “My Activity” section of your Dashboard.

If you submitted a paper FAFSA form, you can check its status after it has been processed (roughly 7–10 days from the date mailed).

After your FAFSA is processed, you can access your FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) online by:

1. Log into your StudentAid.gov Account.
2. From your dashboard, select your processed FAFSA submission from the “My Activity” section.
3. Select “View FAFSA Submission Summary.”

Your FSS summarizes the information on your FAFSA and identifies your Student Aid Index (SAI). Carefully review your FSS and make corrections to your FAFSA data if necessary. This information will be used to determine your eligibility for federal and possibly non-federal financial aid. 

Receiving your FSS does not mean that your FAFSA was accepted or that you are eligible for financial aid. For more information, visit StudentAid.gov’s Learn About the FAFSA Submission Summary page.

Your FAFSA Submission Summary may indicate you’ve been selected for Federal Verification, which is the process used to confirm the data reported on your FAFSA form is accurate. If selected for verification, Miami will request additional documentation that supports the information you reported. All verification documents should be submitted as soon as possible. Typically, financial aid is not disbursed until the verification process is complete.

Your Financial Aid Offer from Miami may be a combination of grants, scholarships, and other funding options such as loans and federal work-study funds.

1. First-year students at Miami will receive an email with a link to their Financial Aid Offer on their Applicant Status page in mid-to-late March. The financial aid offer includes all available funds. 
2. Returning students will receive an email with a link to their Financial Aid Offer in Banner 9 Self Service - Financial Aid around June 15. 

It is important to correct any errors on your FAFSA. Incorrect information may impact your financial aid eligibility.

Log into your StudentAid.gov Account to make changes online. If you’re a dependent student and change information about your parent(s), they must re-sign your FAFSA form electronically using their own StudentAid.gov account.

Visit StudentAid.gov’s How to Review and Correct Your FAFSA Form page for more information for the following situations: 

• If Your FAFSA Form is Missing a Contributor’s Consent and Approval
• If Your FAFSA Form is Missing One or More Required Signatures
• How to Add or Delete a School
• How to change Your Answer to the “Unsubsidized Loan Only” Question
• If You Filed a FAFSA Form Using an Incorrect Social Security Number (SSN)

Contact your school’s financial aid administrator if you have extenuating circumstances that impact your family’s ability to pay for higher education, such as high medical costs or recent unemployment.

You should contact the One Stop on your campus if there will be a significant change in your or your parent’s income for the present year or if your family has other circumstances that cannot be reported on the FAFSA form.

If your personal circumstances change and impact your dependency status after you have submitted your FAFSA form, you may complete the Unusual Circumstances Appeal/Dependency Override Form if you believe you should be considered an independent student. The benchmark for the Unusual Circumstance/Dependency Override appeal is a permanent separation and financial independence from both parents.