What You Need to Complete an Application
Documents
Before you fill out your FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (CADAA), gather these documents so that you have everything you need to complete and submit the form.
See Also
Financial Aid Action Plan — Financial Aid7 Essential FAFSA Steps | North Central College10 Essential Tips to Make Filing a FAFSA Easier - TaxAct BlogBoth Student & Parent bring the following documents you have and that apply to you:
- Driver's License (if you have one)
- Social Security Card or number (if you have one)
- Alien Registration number (if you have one)
- Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) number (if you have one)
- List of colleges you are interested in attending
Note: If you were born before january 1, 1997, you are considered an independent student for the 2020-21 & 2021-22 school year and do not have to provide your parents' information.
Your Tax Information
2021-2022 Applicants:
- While completing the FAFSA, you can use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to populate your and/or your parents' 2019 tax information.
- However, it is recommended for students/parents to have their 2019 Tax Return(s) and related tax documents (for example, W2s, tax schedules, bank statements), as well as any records of untaxed income (for example, welfare benefits, Social Security benefits, or child support payments) available for reference.
2022-2023 Applicants:
The FAFSA and California Dream Act Application (CADAA) will ask for your 2020 tax and income information to apply for 2022-23 student aid.
- While completing the FAFSA, you can use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to populate your and/or your parents' 2020 tax information.
- However, it is recommended for students/parents to have their 2020 Tax Return(s) and related tax documents (for example, W2s, tax schedules, bank statements), as well as any records of untaxed income (for example, welfare benefits, Social Security benefits, or child support payments) available for reference.
