Update on Access to the 2024-25 FAFSA Form for Individuals Without a Social Security Number (Updated May 6, 2024) (2024)

What this means for applicants and their families:

• New users who request a StudentAid.gov account and cannot validate their identity using the knowledge-based questions (as generated by TransUnion) must still complete the manual process to validate their identity. However, they will not have to wait to have their identity validation completed before they can use their account username and password to access and complete the online 2024-25 FAFSA form.

• Individuals who are currently awaiting the results of the identity validation process may begin using the StudentAid.gov account they created to immediately access the form. The Department will also email these individuals to notify them if they are affected by this change.

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• Individuals can check the status of their identity validation on their StudentAid.gov dashboard. If the status on the “Personal Information” page of their Account Settings is “no-SSN” with a green check icon, individuals are able to progress to the FAFSA form. Please note that this status is the same for those who have completed the validation process and those who are temporarily allowed to enter and complete the form. Individuals will receive an email this week if they fall in the latter category.

• Individuals who are currently waiting for results from the Department do not need to resubmit any documentation to complete the identity validation process.

• The Department is aware that there has been some erroneous information posted on public sites regarding the identity validation process, creating confusion for some individuals on where to submit documents and how to start the process. Official guidance for completing the identity validation process for those without an SSN can be found on StudentAid.gov. If an individual’s StudentAid.gov account does not show a status of “no-SSN” with a green check icon and they have not received an email notifying them of this temporary change, they will need to follow the instructions for individuals without an SSN to create a StudentAid.gov account, as they are not currently in the Department’s system.

• The Department encourages all users without an SSN to complete the identity validation process without delay, even after the student’s FAFSA form is submitted. They must complete the validation process before the beginning of the 2025-26 application cycle, and before the IRS data exchange issues are addressed, to avoid their account being placed in a restricted status.

• Undocumented students and students who have received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) remain ineligible for federal student aid. To receive federal student aid, a student must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national, a citizen of the Freely Associated States, or a lawful U.S. permanent resident or other eligible noncitizen.

What this means for institutions:

• Bypassing the identity validation process does not preclude student applicants without an SSN (who are citizens of the Freely Associated States) from having to meet eligibility requirements for federal student aid. As in previous years, Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) received for students without an SSN who are also citizens of the Freely Associated States will not have an A-Number and will also not go through DHS match. Instead, schools must request documentation to verify the student’s eligible noncitizen status, as a citizen of the Freely Associated States. Additional guidance on verifying the citizen and eligible noncitizen status of students can be found in the 2024-25 FSA Handbook, Volume 1: Student Eligibility, Chapter 2. Schools must ensure that the student’s identity and citizenship status is verified before disbursing aid.

• Schools may direct students and families who have questions about their eligible noncitizen status, or concerns that their parent or spouse’s citizenship status impacts their eligibility for federal student aid, to our guidance for non-U.S. citizens.

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