The Department of Education has made significant changes to the FAFSA and eligibility criteria. The form and questions are now different, which means that families who were not eligible before may now qualify.

 

The maximum Pell Grant for the 2025-26 academic year is $7,395. The maximum for 2026-27 has not yet been determined.

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STEP 1 - Create StudentAid.gov account

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​​​Before starting your online FAFSA application, both the student and the parent(s) must have their own Student Aid.gov Account (previously known as the FSA ID) linked to their personal email address.​ To create a StudentAid.gov account , go to studentaid.gov, click "Create Account", and provide personal details like your name, DOB, SSN, and a personal email/phone, then complete challenge questions and verify

your contact info; this account grants access to forms like the FAFSA.​

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• The email used to create each account should belong to that individual and they should have access to it.

• Only list a phone number on the studentaid.gov account if the phone can receive text messages.

It is optional to include a phone number. Each phone number can only be linked to one account.

• It’s a good idea to add a recovery email to the email address associated with the studentaid.gov account. This way if a student loses access to her email address, she will still be able to access her studentaid.gov account.

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Current System Issue There are reports of a glitch preventing some users from creating studentaid.gov accounts. The situation is being monitored and will hopefully be resolved soon.

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Important Student Aid ID Notes (FSA ID) :

 

• Both the student and parent must have access to their email to verify their identity for the FSA ID.

• This FSA ID will be permanent, so make sure you are using a permanent email address.

• If the student or parent already has an FSA ID, they should use the one they already have.

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STEP 2 - Complete the FAFSA Form

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To apply for financial aid (Pell Grant), you must complete the  FAFSA form . New York

State residents, scroll down to read about TAP before starting!

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1. It is recommended that the student starts the FAFSA, not the parent.

2. The student enters the parent’s email address (this does not need to match the email used on the parent’s studentaid.gov account).

3. The parent receives an email with a code.

4. The parent selects “Accept Contributor Invite,” signs in, and enters the code.

5. If the student and their parent are using the same computer, once the student completes and signs, they must sign out before the parent or spouse logs in to complete their part.

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Changes to the Online FAFSA Process Changes for 2026–27

 

Parent Information (Married Parents Filing Jointly) If parents filed a joint US Tax return in 2024, the second parent will only need to provide their date of birth. Name and Social Security number will no longer be required for the second parent.

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Important FAFSA Notes:

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• Our school code for Pell is 011208.

• If your parents filed a joint 2024 US tax return, in most cases you will not have to enter your income information. FAFSA will import it directly from your IRS files. If you have not yet filed your 2024 Tax Return, please contact us.​

• Student’s Address: Use your permanent home address if it is in the United States. There are glitches with the FAFSA site when listing a foreign address. If the family already has a US address that they use for other things (for example, their tax return, or if they get mail to a grandparent or other relative in the US ) then we would recommend that they use that address on the FAFSA. However, for the "state of legal residence" they should still list Foreign Country (FC).

• Name of High School: Search for the name of your high school. If the school is listed in the search results, it is best to select it from there, even if it is not a perfect match to your diploma. If your high school does not come up in the search, write your High School name exactly as it appears on your diploma.

• Assets (Parent/Student): If prompted, report cash, checking or savings accounts, and the current value of investments.

• Business Asset Reporting: Students/parents are not required to report a business as an asset if the business is owned and controlled by the family and has fewer than the equivalent of 100 full-time employees.

• Student’s College or Career School Plans:

o Select "first year","second year", or "other undergraduate" (DHL does not offer a Master’s program).

o Most DHL applicants do not have a Bachelor’s degree.

o DHL does not offer teaching certification as mentioned in the FAFSA questions, so the answer should be “No.”

•  Federal Benefits: Check off any Federal Benefits you currently receive.​

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After submission:​

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After submitting all parts of the FAFSA (for both student and parent), you will receive an email that says: "You may be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant of up to $____." Please note that this amount is an estimate. The Department of Education places the responsibility on the institution to verify and document the information provided. Funds are disbursed only after both the financial and academic files are complete.​

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Need Help?

If you need technical assistance with the FAFSA online application, including FSA ID

setup or retrieval, you can contact FAFSA's customer service. They provide valuable

support to help you navigate the process. Reach FAFSA at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-

433-243).​​