Completing the FAFSA

FAFSA FAQ for 2025-26

FAFSA priority filing deadlines:

Incoming 2025-2026 Freshman Students – March 1, 2025
Incoming 2025-2026 Transfer Students – April 1, 2025
All current continuing students – March 1, 2025

All undergraduate students that do NOT file the FAFSA by the priority filing date of March 1 will continue to be eligible for Federal Direct Student Loans, and Federal Grants. Other funds (Virginia State Grants, scholarships, etc.) will not be available after that date.

FSA ID

Apply for an FSA ID, a username and password combination that allows you to sign your FAFSA electronically.
You can get your FSA ID as you fill out the FAFSA, but you also have the option to get it ahead of time.

Watch this video to learn how to create an FSA ID.

How to Fill Out the FAFSA

Information Needed for the FAFSA

Student, parent and/or spouse Social Security Numbers
Student driver’s license
Alien Registration number if you are not a U.S. citizen
Federal tax information or tax returns including IRS W-2 information, for you (and your spouse, if you are married), and for your parents if you are a dependent student:
- IRS 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ
- Foreign tax return and/or
- Tax return for Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or Palau
Student, parent and/or spouse untaxed income, such as child support received, interest income, and veterans non-education benefits

Determining Dependency Status

The FAFSA asks a series of questions that determine whether you are a dependent or independent student for purposes of applying for federal student aid. If you are a dependent student, you must report parent information, as well as your own information, on your FAFSA.

Reporting Financial Information

Use two-year prior tax data. For instance, if you are filling out the 2025-26 FAFSA, use 2023 tax information.
If eligible, use your Federal Tax Information pulled directly from the IRS. – The information transferred from the IRS will not be displayed. This change was made to protect sensitive tax information.
If unable to use Federal Tax Information from the IRS you will need to enter it in manually.

FAFSA: The Next Steps

FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) will be sent to the email address provided by the student on the FAFSA.
Review your summary to make sure you didn’t make a mistake on your FAFSA.
The FAFSA will provide information to the financial aid office to determine your financial aid eligibility for Federal, State and Institutional aid.
If your two years prior tax information has changed significantly please contact the UMW Office of Financial Aid to determine if a change to your financial aid eligibility is needed.

The information on this page is found on the Federal Student Aid website, which is an excellent resource for all students using federal aid (Direct Loans, Plus Loans, Federal Pell Grant, etc), especially while filling out the FAFSA.