FAFSA FAQ

How To Review and Update Your FAFSA Form General FAFSA FAQs

Terminology Reporting and Tax Filing FAQs

Please rest assured, our EMU Student Financial Aid team is committed to assisting you. We are prepared to address your questions and concerns with the utmost urgency and effectiveness. Your educational journey is important to us, and we are here to support you every step of the way. The EMU financial aid office is here to help. Please feel free to call us at 540-432-4137 or email us at finaid@emu.edu with your questions.

Below, you will find the most up-to-date information regarding the FAFSA for the 2025-26 academic year and the application process.

Important Terminology

Student Aid Index (SAI): An eligibility index number that a college's or career school's financial aid office uses to determine how much federal student aid the student would receive if the student attended the school. This number results from the information that the student provides in their FAFSA form.

Contributor(s): Anyone who is required to provide information as part of a student's FAFSA submission. A contributor can be a student's biological parents(s), step-parent, adopted parent(s) or student's spouse. The term “contributor” means the individual contributes information to the student's FAFSA.

General FAFSA FAQs

What does it mean if my SAI is negative?

The Student Aid Index (SAI) is used by financial aid offices when determining student eligibility for need-based financial aid. The SAI can range from negative $1,500 (-$1,500) to $999,999. A lower SAI (including negative SAI) indicates a higher financial need.
What will I need to complete the FAFSA?

To complete the FAFSA, you and your parent(s), if you are a dependent student, will be required to consent to the IRS to share your tax information with the FAFSA processor. Each person required to provide their information on the FAFSA will need an FSA ID. It will be helpful to have records of child support received, net worth of investments, businesses and farms, if applicable. If the Federal processor is unable to retrieve your tax information from the IRS, you should also have the tax returns available (2023 tax returns for the 2025-26 academic year).
What is the FAFSA Submission Summary?

A paper or electronic document from the U.S. Department of Education's office of Federal Student Aid that lists answers to the questions on the student's FAFSA form and gives basic estimates about the student's eligibility for federal student aid. It is not a financial aid offer.
What is “Family Size” on the FAFSA?

Family Size captures the appropriate number of family members and dependents in the applicant’s household.

Reporting and Tax Filing FAQs

Who is considered a “contributor” for the new FAFSA?
Anyone asked to provide information on the aid application—student, student’s spouse, student’s parent(s) and/or stepparents(s)—is called a “contributor” to the application. Contributors are required to provide consent and approval for federal tax information (FTI) along with their signature on the FAFSA form.
- The student applying for aid is always a contributor.
- A student who is a dependent will have at least one parent as a contributor.
- An independent student may not have contributors other than themselves.
- For independent students who are married and filed taxes separately for the reporting tax year, their spouse is considered a contributor.
The new FAFSA form will include a "Parent Wizard," an interactive worksheet that helps the applicant to determine which parent or parents they should be planning to include on their application.
What is Direct Data Share with the IRS?

Direct data share with the IRS will replace what is currently known as the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT). This allows the IRS to directly provide Federal Tax Information (FTI) for contributors to an applicant’s FAFSA.
What does it mean that “contributors” to the FAFSA will need to provide their consent?

Students, spouses, parents, and stepparents (any contributors identified during the application process) will need to provide their consent to provide their Federal Tax Information (FTI) in the new Consent to Retrieve and Disclose Federal Tax Information section of the FAFSA for federal student aid eligibility. Once the required contributors are identified, the Federal processor will send an email to each with consent instructions. The consent lasts for that application year and will need to be given for all contributors every year the applicant submits a FAFSA.
What happens if a contributor does not consent to the direct data share with the IRS?

It is vital that all contributors provide consent for direct data share. If any contributor to the FAFSA form does not provide consent, submission of the form will still be allowed. However, a Student Aid Index (SAI) will not be calculated, so the student will not be eligible to receive federal aid.
How do I determine which parent is a contributor for my FAFSA form?
The new FAFSA form will include a “Parent Wizard,” an interactive worksheet that helps the applicant to determine which parent or parents they should be planning to include on their application.
- If the parents are married and their tax filing status was "married filing jointly” for the reporting year, then only one parent needs to create an FSA ID and provide consent on the FAFSA. Providing consent allows both parents' tax information from their tax return to be retrieved from the IRS.
- If the parents are married and their tax filing status was "married filing separately” for the reporting year, then they will both need to create an FSA ID and will both need to provide consent on the FAFSA, since their tax information is provided on separate tax returns.
- If the parents are separated or divorced, the Custodial Parent will need to create an FSA ID and provide consent on the FAFSA.
Who is the “Custodial Parent” for the FAFSA?

For dependent students, the Custodial Parent will be the parent who provided the most financial support, instead of the parent with whom the student lived more during the past 12 months. If both parents provided an exact equal amount of financial support, then this will typically be the parent with greater income or assets. The Custodial Parent will need to create an FSA ID to provide their information for the student’s FAFSA.
How do contributors provide consent for data exchange with the IRS?

Each contributor will be asked to provide consent in a section of the FAFSA application form that provides details about what information is shared. When completing the FAFSA, students will be able to invite contributors to complete their section of the form by providing an email address and basic information for the contributor. That contributor (parent or spouse) will need to log in to the form with their FSA ID and will be able to consent to the data exchange. Alternatively, parents may start a FAFSA form on behalf of their student and invite the student to complete their section.
What is the FSA ID?

An FSA ID is the Account Username and Password needed to file a FAFSA form and used to log in to all Federal Student Aid products and tools on StudentAid.gov. There will be two-step verification for the FAFSA and all contributors must have an FSA ID to log into the online form.
How do I register for an FSA ID?

Students and other contributors register for an FSA ID through the federal student aid website. Most continuing students will have created an FSA ID to file their FAFSA in previous years.
Who needs an FSA ID?

Every contributor to an applicant’s FAFSA form will need to create an FSA ID in order to provide consent for data share with the IRS. Federal Student Aid (FSA) recommends all parents create an FSA ID.
Does my spouse need an FSA ID?

If you are married and filed taxes jointly, yes, your spouse will need an FSA ID to file their part of the FAFSA.
A contributor to my form doesn’t have an SSN (Social Security Number), can I still file my FAFSA?
Yes, Federal Student Aid (FSA) has indicated that a process will be available for people without Social Security Numbers to create an FSA ID and access the FAFSA. In order to create and FSA ID, a contributor without an SSN will need to:
- Provide an email address that is not associated with another FSA ID account
- Provide a mailing address
- Answer a series of questions to verify their identity
For most individuals creating an FSA ID without SSN, the results of identity authentication are immediate. If the federal processor is unable to authenticate an individual’s identity, they will be provided with a phone number and instructions on their next steps.
Is consent needed every year for the FAFSA?

Yes, contributors will need to consent to direct data share with the IRS for the FAFSA every year, but only once a year when completing the form. Once the consent is granted it cannot be revoked.
I didn’t complete taxes for the reporting year, do I have to provide consent?

Yes. Even if a tax return has not been completed, the applicant and all other contributors must provide consent in order for the student to be considered eligible for federal financial aid. Note that if taxes were not filed and no filing extension has been obtained, the applicant may not be eligible for Title IV federal student aid.
I declined to provide my consent but have changed my mind. Will I be able to update my FAFSA?

Yes. Throughout the 2025-26 FAFSA, there are several opportunities to update your consent approval. You can log in to StudentAid.Gov and update your consent on your dashboard.
Will other contributors be able to view my tax information on the FAFSA form?

No. The applicant and other contributors will each have their own section of the FAFSA form to complete. According to the Department of Education, much of the applicant’s tax return information, including information from their spouse and parents, will come directly from the IRS and will not be viewable by the student and other contributors.
What if my tax information is not available through the IRS?

No. The applicant and other contributors will each have their own section of the FAFSA form to complete. According to the Department of Education, much of the applicant’s tax return information, including information from their spouse and parents, will come directly from the IRS and will not be viewable by the student and other contributors.
I filed a foreign tax return, do I need to provide this information on my student's FAFSA?

Yes. Foreign tax filers can enter tax information manually on their student's FAFSA.
My parent(s) refuse to provide their information on my FAFSA. What should I do?

If you are determined to be a Dependent Student, based on the information you've added to your 2025-2026 FAFSA, and your parent refuses to provide their information, then you can indicate that you would like to be considered for a Direct Unsubsidized Loan. The Direct Unsubsidized Loan is the only federal financial aid that you can be considered for without your parent's information.

FAFSA Application