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Back to FAFSA® Guide 2025-26
How to answer basic student information questions for the FAFSA®
Here are some tips to help you correctly enter your name, address, and personal info for the FAFSA®, and your plans for college or career school.
Student identity and contact information
- These questions may seem pretty obvious, but you still need to make sure to enter everything carefully.
- If you plan to send the FAFSA® to multiple schools, your information will need to match up with their records so they can receive your FAFSA®.
Can I skip these questions?
No
How to answer these questions
- Enter your name exactly as it appears on your Social Security card.
- Enter your Social Security number and date of birth.
- You only need to enter an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) if you do not have a Social Security number.
- Enter your permanent home/mailing address info, not your college mailing address. You can use your college address once you become an enrolled student.
- Provide a phone number where you can be easily reached. Don’t enter dashes.
Student current marital status
Why do they need this info?
- You’re asked about your marital status to see if you’ll need to provide info about your spouse for the FAFSA®.
- Married students need to report their spouse’s income tax info, even if you file separate returns.
- If you’re divorced or separated, or your spouse has died, you won’t need to provide any financial details except your own.
Can I skip these questions?
NoHow to answer these questions
- Select Single (never married), Married (not separated), Remarried, Separated, Divorced, or Widowed, whichever one applies to you.
Student college or career school plans
Why do they need this info?
Your college grade level is the grade level for which you’re applying for federal financial aid.
Can I skip these questions?
No
How to answer these questions
- Select the college grade level you’ll be in from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. For example, if you just completed your freshman year in full, you’d select “Second year (sophomore)”.
- High school seniors or first-time college students would select “First year (Freshman)”.
- If you took college courses or earned college credit during high school, you should still select “First Year”. This is because many schools offer aid specifically for first-year students, so any other answer may disqualify you.
- If you were accepted as an undergraduate to a program that guarantees you a spot in a professional program (e.g. J.D., M.D. PharmD), select “First Year”. You won’t be considered a professional student until you start taking 500+ level courses.
What else should I know?
Your grade level doesn’t mean how many years you’ve attended school/college. It’s how much progress you’ve actually made toward your degree or certificate.