FAFSA FAQ's

• The FAFSA needs to be completed every year
• The 2025-2026 FAFSA is now open. We recommend filing your FAFSA by April 1, 2025.

You will need:

• Your FSA ID (FAFSA login)
• Seattle Pacific University school code: 003788
• Cash, saving and checking account balances
• Untaxed income records
• Tax return if you're asked to input tax information manually (this is rare)

• Go to studentaid.gov/fafsa
• Log in with your FSA ID or create an FSA ID and password if you do not have one.
• If you need help with your FSA ID, visit studentaid.gov or contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC).

• Please review this helpful guide for creating an FSA ID and filing a FAFSA without a Social Security Number.

Some families experience trouble submitting their FAFSA when the parent tries to complete the FAFSA first, or the student tries to submit the FAFSA before the parent completes their part. While Federal Student Aid works to resolve this issue, here is the best way for dependent students to complete the FAFSA:

• Student starts the FAFSA form and works through all sections up to the parent invite.
• Invite parents to complete their section.
• Save and stop (do not submit).
• Parent completes their portion of the FAFSA including signature.
• Student returns to their FAFSA to sign and submit their section.

• Only select yes if your parent is unwilling to contribute information on your FAFSA. If you select yes, then you will only be eligible for unsubsidized loans.
• It is important to select No so that the FAFSA gathers parent information to determine eligibility for Federal Pell and FSEOG grants, Student Work Study, and WA state grants.

Students who answer No to every question below are considered dependent for the 2025-2026 FAFSA. 

• Were you born before Jan. 1, 2002?
• As of today, are you married? (Answer “No” if you are separated but not divorced.)
• At the beginning of the 2025–26 school year, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program (such as an M.A., MBA, M.D., J.D., Ph.D., Ed.D., graduate certificate, etc.)?
• Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. armed forces for purposes other than training? (If you are a National Guard or Reserves enlistee, are you on active duty for other than state or training purposes?)
• Are you a veteran of the U.S. armed forces?
• Do you have children or other people (excluding your spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you now and between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026?
• At any time since you turned age 13, were you an orphan (no living biological or adoptive parent)?
• At any time since you turned age 13, were you a ward of the court?
• At any time since you turned age 13, were you in foster care?
• Are you or were you a legally emancipated minor, as determined by a court in your state of residence?
• Are you or were you in a legal guardianship with someone other than your parent or stepparent, as determined by a court in your state of residence?
• At any time on or after July 1, 2024, were you unaccompanied and either (1) homeless or (2) self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?

If you answered "no" to every question, you're considered a dependent student, and must provide information about your parents when you fill out the FAFSA. Not living with parents or being financially independent does not make you an independent student for purposes of applying for federal student aid. Learn more about dependency status for federal aid here.

A contributor is anyone who is required to provide information, consent and approval, and a signature on the FAFSA form.

• The student is always a contributor
• Contributors may also be a student's spouse, parent and/or stepparent
• A student's answers to the questions on the FAFSA form will determine if additional contributors are needed
• More information about which parent(s) is considered a contributor can be found here.

• The parent who contributed the most support to the student in the previous 12 months will be the contributor on the FAFSA.
• View this infographic from Federal Student Aid to help determine which parent is the contributor in the case of separation or divorce.

If a student or family has experienced one of the following unusual circumstances, the Financial Aid Specialist team may be able to see if adjustments on the FAFSA can be made. If you have experienced one of these circumstances, please visit our Change in Financial Circumstances page and complete a Special Circumstances form.

Unusual Circumstances Eligible for Review

• Loss of income
• Medical expenses, not covered by insurance
• Loss of child support
• Divorce or separation
• Death of a parent or spouse
• K-12 private school tuition costs

• Students need corrections such as: providing a signature for a student or parent, granting consent to access IRS tax data, adding a school to your FAFSA, or correcting questions previously answered incorrectly such as seeking Unsub loans only.
• Federal Student Aid has helpful guidance on how to complete the most common corrections.
• SPU should receive the corrections within 3-5 days, you will receive an emailed notice with an updated Financial Aid package in the following days.

• There are many reasons a FAFSA may have a rejection, which just means it needs to be corrected.
• Common reasons for FAFSA corrections are:
  •  FAFSA needs to be signed by the student.
  • FAFSA needs to be signed by the contributor (parent, other parent, student spouse).
  • Student did not provide consent to retrieve or disclose their federal tax information.
  • The contributor did not provide consent to retrieve or disclose their federal tax information.
  • Confirm citizenship or eligible noncitizen status.
• Federal Student Aid has helpful guidance on how to complete the most common corrections.
• SPU should receive the corrections within 3-5 days, you will receive an emailed notice with an updated Financial Aid package in the following days.

• IRS Data Exchange: All applicants are now required to use the IRS Data Exchange, this reduces the number of errors and the number of questions on the form itself.
• Contributors: Anyone who is required to provide information is referred to as a contributor. A contributor may be a parent, step-parent or spouse.
• Student Aid Index (SAI): the term Expected Family Contribution (EFC) was replaced with the Student Aid Index (SAI). This name more accurately describes the number used to determine aid eligibility and, unlike the EFC, the SAI may be a negative number, down to -1500. Although, a negative SAI does not mean a student will receive more aid.