Visit the FAFSA website to complete your FAFSA online or download the forms to complete by hand and mail in.
Fill out the "step 1" of the "student" section of the FAFSA with your name, mailing address, Social Security number, date of birth, driver's license number, marital status, legal residence, citizen status, parent's educational information, high school completion status, current grade level, criminal background and Selective Service status.
Give your tax information, using your most recent tax return, for the "step 2" of the "student" section.
Answer the "yes" or "no" questions in "step 3" of the "student" section to determine if you need to fill out the parental section, which is "step 4." These questions determine if you are an independent student or not. If you answer "yes" to any of the questions, you must skip "step 4" and go to "step 6."
Add your parents' Social Security numbers, date of birth and tax information in the "step 4" section, if you answered "no" to all of the questions in "step three" on the FAFSA form. If you answered "yes" to at least one question in "step 3" then you must complete "step 5" instead, which asks about your household.
Enter the colleges where you want your FAFSA results sent in "step 6."
Sign the form in "step 7." If you included your parents' information, they must sign as well. When completing the form online, you can apply for a PIN, which acts as your electronic signature. After submitting the FAFSA application, you will receive an email or paper notification regarding your Student Aid Report (SAR), which details the FAFSA amount. Listed as an expected family contribution, or EFC, this is the amount the government expects you to contribute towards your tuition costs, not how much financial aid you will receive.