FSA ID Guide - Without SSN

For contributors (i.e., parent) who do not have a Social Security Number (SSN)

This guide was developed to help parent(s) who do not have an SSN create an FSA ID for the 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). An FSA ID will be necessary for all individuals (students and their parent(s)) when completing the FAFSA. Parents will be referred to as “Contributors,” and they will be asked to provide information on an applicant’s FAFSA. If a student and their contributor(s) already have an FSA ID, they will not need to create a new FSA ID, however, additional verification steps may need to be completed for the 2024-2025 FAFSA.

Contributors that have previously signed the FAFSA by printing and mailing in the ‘Parent Signature page’ will now need to create an FSA ID to complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA. You can create an FSA ID regardless of if you have an SSN or not. To create the FSA ID, follow the steps below for contributors who do not have an SSN. Please note that there is an identity verification process when creating an FSA ID. Information gathered from the identity verification process is solely used to confirm your identity and will not be shared with other agencies.

Note: A contributor can be the biological or legally adoptive parent, a parent’s spouse/partner, or student’s spouse/partner. This will be contingent on the student’s dependency status and parent status.

Please be aware of the following requirements:

  • Contributors will need an active and reliable email address which will need to be verified, so it is important that you use an email account that can be accessed easily.
  • It is recommended that the FSA ID be created a few days before you start the 2024-2025 FAFSA, as it takes 1-3 days for the identity verification process.
    • Contributors who do not have an SSN will not be able to create an FSA ID until the 2024-2025 FAFSA is now available!
    • Contributors who do not have an SSN will need to answer a set of verification questions to confirm their identity. This eliminates signature pages for parents. You will only have one opportunity to answer these questions correctly, so please take your time and answer carefully. If you answer any questions incorrectly, you will need to complete additional steps to verify your identity (see Step 9 below). If you answer all questions correctly, you will be able to complete your portion of the FAFSA the same day.
      • Once students and contributors successfully create an FSA ID, you can complete and submit the FAFSA the same day, however, a FAFSA Submission Summary will not be provided until the FSA ID is verified. This means that the Student Aid Index (SAI) will not be immediately calculated, and a Pell estimate will not be provided.
      • The SAI is what will be used in place of the formerly used Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to determine how much federal aid the student is eligible to receive.
  • Parents who are not married but living together or married but file taxes separately, will both need to have an FSA ID. The FAFSA will require both contributors to sign-in separately to submit their information because they filed taxes separately.

1. Log In

  • Go to studentaid.gov
  • Click on ‘Create Account’ located toward the upper right corner of the page.
  • Click on ‘Get Started’ (or ‘Log In’ if you already have an FSA ID).

2. Personal Information

  • Enter First Name, Middle Initial (if applicable), Last Name and Date of Birth.
  • Click to select the checkbox that states ‘I don’t have a Social Security Number.’
  • A box will appear on your screen ‘Warning: Your Account will be Limited Without SSN’ and you will see two statements, one of which will say ‘I am a parent or spouse of a student who is applying for aid, and I do not have an SSN.’
  • Click on ‘Continue Without SSN.’

3. Account Information

  • Create Username.
  • Enter active email address (required).
    • You will need to have a separate email address for each FSA ID created. Each email address can only be associated with one FSA ID account. If you do not have an email address, you can create a free one using an email provider (e.g., Google, Yahoo, AOL).
  • Confirm email address.
  • Create Password.

4. Contact Information

  • Enter your permanent mailing address (required).
  • Enter your mobile phone number (this will also be used as a verification method for Step 8).

5. Communication Preferences

  • Set the best way for the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid (FSA) Office to contact you regarding FAFSA updates, or if they need to assist you with unlocking your FSA ID account (an account is locked after 3 failed log-in attempts).

6. Challenge Questions

  • Choose and answer four security questions to use if you forget your FSA ID (username and password) and need to recover your account login information.

7. Confirm and Verify

  • Confirm the information you entered. You can edit and update at this time if needed.
  • You will need to read and agree to the FSA’s Terms and Conditions to continue.

8. Enable Two-Step Verification

  • Two-Step Verification will be used every time you log in to studentaid.gov. Choose from one of the options below:
    • Option 1: Verify your email address and/or mobile phone number.
      • You should have entered this information in previous steps.
    • Option 2: Use an Authenticator App
      • Click on ‘Set up an Authenticator App,’ then scan the QR code with your mobile phone to download from your mobile app store (such as Google Play Store or Apple Store).
  • Once you complete the Two-Step Verification process, you will receive a ‘backup code.’ Write down the backup code and keep it in a safe place. This code will be used to log in to your account if you no longer have access to the other verification methods previously linked to your account (i.e., mobile phone number and/or email address).

9. Additional Identity Verification Step for Contributors Who Do Not Have an SSN

  • Contributors who do not have an SSN will need to answer a set of verification questions to confirm their identity. This eliminates signature pages for parents. You will be asked knowledge-based verification questions that are created from personal information you entered in the previous steps, and from TransUnion Credit Bureau.
    • Questions will differ based on individuals and need to be answered to proceed. Reminder, the information gathered from the identity verification process is solely used to confirm your identity and will not be shared with other agencies. You will only have one opportunity to answer these questions correctly, so please take your time and answer carefully.
      • If you answer all questions correctly, you will be able to proceed to complete your portion of the FAFSA the same day.
      • If you answer any question(s) incorrectly, you will be notified that your identity cannot be verified and will need to proceed to Step 10 below.

10. Additional Step if Contributor Answers Verification Questions Incorrectly

  • If you answered any of the questions incorrectly, you will not be able to complete your portion of the FAFSA application. 
  • You will receive an email with your MANVER Case number with instructions on verifying your identity.
  • If you do not receive an email, contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at 1-800-433-3243 to verify your identity.
  • You will tell the FSAIC representative that an account was created, but you cannot complete or sign the FAFSA because your identity needs to be verified. The next steps will need to be followed:
    • Call FSAIC at 1-800-433-3243
      • A customer service representative will initiate the identity verification process with you. The representative will email you a case number and instructions for providing the proper form and documentation to verify your identity.
      • Submit the required identity verification information as indicated below:
        1. Completed Attestation Form (also available at studentaid.gov)
        2. Provide Proof of Identity (either a or b)
          1. One of the following:
            1. Driver’s License (Temporary Visitor Driver’s License (TVDL’s) cannot be used)
            2. State or City Identification Card
            3. Foreign Passport
          2. Both a utility bill (that matches your name and permanent mailing address used when you created the FSA ID) and one of the following forms of ID:
            1. Municipal Identification Card (Photo ID issued by a city or town)
            2. Community ID (Photo ID issued by a nonprofit organization)
            3. Consular Identification Card (Photo ID issued by a consulate)
  • Within 1-3 business days after submitting the required identity verification form and documents, The Office of Federal Student Aid will send an email confirming that your identity has been verified. Reminder, the information gathered from the identity verification process is solely used to confirm your identity and will not be shared with other agencies.

11. Next Steps

Once you have your FSA ID and your identity has been verified:

  • Go to studentaid.gov
  • Click on ‘Log In’ located toward the upper right corner of the page.
  • Enter the Username and Password used when you created your FSA ID Account.
  • Access the 2024-2025 FAFSA, which will be available by December 31, 2023.

For additional questions or support, please visit the Federal Student Aid Contact Centers for assistance via phone, email, or live chat.

12. FAQ

Can parents be living outside of the US and create FSA IDs?

  • Yes

Can an ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) be used as a substitute?

  • No
    • An ITIN can ONLY be used during the FAFSA application if a parent did their taxes so that the office can pull directly from the IRS after consent.

Can the passport or Identification cards expire?

  • No, the passport and Identification cards must be active and non-expired.