Rosa will need several key documents and pieces of information to fill out the FAFSA accurately and smoothly. The essentials fall into a few main categories:

1. Personal identification

  • Social Security number (or Alien Registration Number if she is not a U.S. citizen).
  • A valid government-issued ID (such as a driverā€™s license) can be helpful for reference, even if not typed directly into the form.
  • Her full legal name and date of birth exactly as they appear on official documents.

2. Tax and income information

  • Federal income tax returns for the required year (for example, IRS Form 1040 for the tax year requested on that FAFSA).
  • W-2 forms from all employers, and any other records of money earned (such as 1099s).
  • Records of untaxed income, such as child support received, veteransā€™ noneducation benefits, or other similar income.

3. Parent information (if Rosa is a dependent student)

If Rosa is considered a dependent student, she will also need similar information for her parents:

  • Parentsā€™ Social Security numbers.
  • Parentsā€™ dates of birth and marital status information (including the date they were married, divorced, or separated).
  • Parentsā€™ federal tax returns, W-2s, and records of untaxed income.

Having at least one parent available while filling it out is strongly recommended, because the form asks detailed questions about their financial situation.

4. Asset and financial records

  • Current balances of checking and savings accounts for Rosa (and for parents, if dependent).
  • Information about investments, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and college savings plans, excluding retirement accounts.
  • Information on other assets that the FAFSA may ask about (for example, certain types of real estate that are not the primary residence).

5. School and FAFSA account details

  • A Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID for Rosa (username and password used to sign the FAFSA electronically).
  • If required, an FSA ID for a parent so they can sign the form as a contributor.
  • A list of colleges or career schools she is considering, so they can receive her FAFSA information.

In many multiple-choice questions of the form ā€œRosa is getting ready to fill out the FAFSA. Which of these documents will she need to fill it out?ā€, the best answer is typically the option that mentions her and her parentsā€™ most recent federal tax returns and Wā€‘2 forms (plus Social Security numbers) , because those are the core documents the FAFSA relies on.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.