The FAFSA is an online application. It is long, but you can save your information at any point. What's more, you can "speak" to a representative whenever you want to clarify what information is required or get answers to any other questions you may have. The FAFSA needs to be submitted between January 1 and June 30 of the year you are due to start studying. For example, if you intend on beginning a program in September, you need to have your FAFSA in before June 30.
The FAFSA takes your parents' income into account when determining what you are eligible for. Your status as a dependent or individual will affect how much you can borrow and the conditions of the loan. Your parents' income will also affect this, as the assumption is that the more your parents make, the less you will need to borrow.
The PIN number is a key part of the FAFSA process, as it is what keeps your FAFSA secure. These are assigned to every FAFSA applicant, and the process cannot really begin without one. You and your parents have to have separate PINs to access the same FAFSA, as the PIN is designed for specific people rather than specific applications.
Since your FAFSA is an application to the federal government asking for money, you need to make sure every piece of information on it is true. Lying and making a mistake are the same thing in the eyes of the government, and they can result in your application getting rejected. If the application gets through based on false information and you are caught in the future you will have to pay your federal aid money back, and possibly be subject to a $20,000 fine. Double and triple check your FAFSA before pressing "submit."