FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid

Applications filed by the priority date will receive first consideration. The earlier you file your FAFSA, the more options are available for aid. If you miss the priority deadline, you can still apply; some form of aid is usually available no matter when you file the FAFSA.

For the 2024-2025 aid year, complete the FAFSA as soon as you can once it opens.

WWU's FAFSA priority filing deadline is extended to February 28, 2024.

Meeting the priority filing deadline best ensures eligibility for some types of financial aid that may not be available to those who file a FAFSA after the deadline.

Due to FAFSA Simplification, the 2024-2025 FAFSA will have significant changes in terminology and there are many important changes that may impact student eligibility.

To accommodate these updates, the 2024-2025 FAFSA will be open by December 31, 2023.

Western’s School code for the FAFSA: When completing the FAFSA, be sure to select Western Washington University, school code 003802, as an authorized school to receive your FAFSA information.

Filing a FAFSA: Begin the process by Creating an FSA (Federal Student Aid) ID. For a dependent student, both the student and parent(s) must obtain an FSA Id to electronically sign the FAFSA and consent to releasing information regarding taxes.

File the FAFSA online after it opens (typically after October 1) and before the Priority Filing Deadline if possible. Note that the 2024-2025 FAFSA will not be opening until December 2023.

Fill Out the FAFSA

1. The FAFSA is free! When filling out your FAFSA, be careful to navigate to the U.S. Department of Education's website rather than a for-profit organization that may charge a fee to fill out the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA).
2. Read the directions carefully. Detailed instructions are provided for most questions within the FAFSA and frequently asked questions are answered at studentaid.gov. If you are unsure about how to answer a specific question, contact Studentaid.gov at 800-433-3243, or our office for clarification.
3. Round off all figures to the nearest dollar. Ensure you are not entering values including decimals.
4. If unable to use the online tools to transfer tax information, provide income information directly from your federal tax return including Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and income tax figures and wages using W2s.
5. Beginning with the 2024-2025 FAFSA, all contributors with a valid Social Security Number (SSN) or Tax Identification Number (ITIN), regardless of tax filing status, who are required to consent to their information being shared on the FAFSA, must use the IRS Direct Data Exchange (IRS DDX).
6. For students with divorced/separated or remarried parents include the following as the parent of record:
   1. If filing the 2023-2024 FAFSA, the student should report the information of the parent(s) they lived with OR from whom they received the most financial support the 12 months prior to filing the FAFSA.
   2. If filing the 2024-2025 FAFSA, the student should report the information for the parent(s) they received the most financial support from the 12 months prior to filing the FAFSA.
   3. If a student’s parent is remarried, financial information for the stepparent is also required.
7. Tax filing and filing the FAFSA are two different processes. Although students may live independently and/or file their own taxes, this does not mean they are considered independent students for FASFA purposes. Answers to the status questions on the FAFSA determine whether a student is considered an independent or dependent student. A list of the questions is available at studentaid.gov. If a student is able to answer “YES” to one or more of the dependency related questions they may be considered an independent student for FAFSA filing purposes. In some situations, additional documentation is required to confirm this status. If a student is not able to answer “YES” to any of these questions, they would generally be considered a dependent student and must include parent data. If you have extenuating circumstances that you believe should be considered which would allow you to file your FAFSA without parent data, review the information on the Dependency Override page of the Financial Aid Department website and contact our department accordingly thereafter.
8. When reporting household size. if you are a dependent student for FAFSA purposes, include yourself, your parent(s), and your parents’ other children if they receive more than half of their support from your parent(s). If you are an independent student, your household size includes yourself, your spouse, and any children who receive more than half of their support from you (and your spouse, if married).