Welcome to NJIT — Supporting You Every Step of the Way! 🎉
We are excited to support you as part of the NJIT Highlander community. Whether you are joining us for the first time or continuing your academic journey, we are here to help guide you through the financial aid process.
Below, you’ll find answers to common questions designed to make reviewing and understanding your financial aid clear, straightforward, and stress-free as you plan for the upcoming academic year.
To begin, please ensure that you have claimed your UCID.
- For those admitted prior to 2/20/26: Go to MyUCID.njit.edu and click "Claim Your UCID". In the "Resend Your Claim Notification" form, enter your 8-digit NJIT ID (found on your applicant status portal and your decision letter) and the personal email address you applied with to receive a claim notification email.
- For those admitted after 2/20/26: You will receive an email to the personal email address you applied with, containing a unique UCID claim notification. Click the red "Claim Your UCID" button and follow the instructions to complete your account setup. If you need the claim notification email resent to you, go to MyUCID.njit.edu and click "Claim Your UCID".
Your UCID is required to access NJIT systems, including the Financial Aid Dashboard. Once your UCID is claimed, you will be able to log in and review your financial aid information.
- Log in to the Financial Aid Dashboard.
- Select the 2026–2027 aid year from the drop-down menu.
- Go to the Home tab.
- Review the Student Requirements section for any outstanding items.
- Log in to the Financial Aid Dashboard.
- Select the 2026–2027 aid year from the drop-down menu.
- Navigate to the Offer tab to view your financial aid awards.
- Under the Loans section, review your loan offers.
- Accept or decline the loans as needed and click Submit.
Federal student loan limits are set by the U.S. Department of Education based on your grade level. Additional options include the Parent PLUS Loan for parents of dependent students and private student loans.
Federal Work Study is a need-based, first-come, first-served program. Students must file the FAFSA by NJIT’s priority deadline of March 1 and demonstrate financial need. If you are not eligible, you may apply for Institutional Work Study.
NJIT reviews scholarship appeals on a case-by-case basis. You may submit competing scholarship offers to the Admissions Office for review. While additional aid is not guaranteed, students are encouraged to submit an appeal.
Yes. You may submit a Special Circumstances Appeal if you’ve experienced a significant financial change, such as a loss of income or medical expenses. Supporting documentation is required, and processing time varies.
EOF documents are reviewed by the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Department. Once your documents are approved, the EOP Department will coordinate with Financial Aid to apply the grant to your account.
You may contact EOP directly at eop@njit.edu or 973-596-3690.
The Total Direct Net Cost most closely reflects what you will see on your student bill in the Student Account and Payment Portal. The College Financing Plan is only an estimate—tuition and fees may change each year, and it does not include health insurance, parking, commuter meal plans, lab fees, or specific housing and meal plan options.
No. The College Financing Plan is an estimate to help you plan your costs and is not your official bill. Your official tuition bill is released by the University Bursar through the Highlander Pipeline Student Account and Payment Portal, typically in late July for the Fall 2026 term. Paper bills are not sent.
You can enroll directly through the Highlander Pipeline Student Account and Payment Portal. For more details on payment plan options, please click here.
Payment amounts are automatically calculated based on your current account balance after accepted aid is applied. There is no interest, but a one-time $50 fee is added to your down payment.
Requests for early refunds for computer purchases are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Executive Director of Financial Aid. Submit a written request to finaid@njit.edu, and in the subject line, please write: Refund for Computer Purchase.
No. Appeals and verification do not extend payment deadlines. You must pay the balance in full or enroll in a payment plan. Any approved adjustments will be applied afterward.
Residency status is determined by the Office of University Admissions based on the documents you submitted with your application. If you believe this status is incorrect, contact the Office of University Admissions to confirm that all documents have been received. Once your residency is updated, the Office of Student Financial Aid Services will be notified, and a revised College Financing Plan will be issued.
Contact your Admissions Counselor to update your housing status. Once the change is processed, the Office of Student Financial Aid Services will automatically generate an updated College Financing Plan.
Yes. First- and second-year students living on campus are required to have a meal plan. Contact Residence Life for more information.
Indirect Expenses are not billable and do not appear on your bill. They are estimates to help families plan for overall costs. You should only budget for the expenses that apply to you.
Personal expenses may include laundry, clothing upkeep, meals off campus, transportation, and leisure activities.
Athletic scholarships are posted after tuition rates for the year are finalized and the student is cleared by the NCAA. Be sure all required NCAA paperwork is completed with the Athletics Department.
Review your New Student Checklist to ensure all required steps, including financial aid tasks, are completed.
For assistance, email finaid@njit.edu and include your 8-digit NJIT Student ID and legal name.
Exit Counseling for Federal Direct Loan Borrowers
What is Exit Counseling?
Exit Counseling helps you:
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Understand your loan repayment responsibilities
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Learn about different repayment plans
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Explore options to manage your loans and avoid default
How to Complete Exit Counseling
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Visit the Federal Student Aid website at studentaid.gov and log in using your FSAID and password. If you’ve forgotten your login details, use the “Forgot My Username” or “Forgot My Password” links to recover them.
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Once logged in, navigate to the Loan Repayment section, then under “Prepare and Apply,” select Loan Exit Counseling.
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Choose the option that reflects your student status (‘Undergraduate Student’ or ‘Graduate/Professional Student’) and click Start under the Exit Counseling section.
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Review and update your contact information and references as needed.
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Select New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) under “Search School” to ensure your records are updated correctly.
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Follow the prompts to complete all required sections. Be sure to expand all dropdown menus to proceed.
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Once finished, a confirmation will be sent to the NJIT Financial Aid Office within 24-48 hours.
Additional Resources
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Direct Loan Exit Counseling Guide
This downloadable guide provides key details on:-
Money management
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Repayment plans
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Deferment and forbearance options
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Loan consolidation
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- Below video provides step by step instructions to complete the Federal Loan Exit Counseling.
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Repaying Your Loans Guide
This downloadable guide provides more information about federal student loan repayment, timelines, and strategies to manage your debt effectively. -
Loan Simulator helps you estimate monthly student loan payments and choose a loan repayment option that best meets your needs and goals.
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Federal Student Loan Repayment Plans: You may review detailed information about the various Direct Loan repayment plans available. Understanding these options will help you:
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Determine your monthly payment amount based on your income and loan balance.
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Learn about income-driven repayment plans that may lower your payments.
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Explore options for loan consolidation, deferment, and forbearance if needed.
Avoid delinquency and default by selecting a repayment plan that works for you.
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Financial Literacy Resources
- Courses on Loan Guidance, Debt, and Repayment
- Tools to help you manage your finances effectively
If you have any questions about Exit Counseling, please contact the NJIT Student Financial Aid Services at finaid@njit.edu or 973-596-3479.
Financial Aid Appeals
Special Circumstance Appeal
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Loss of income due to unemployment, disability, or retirement
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Loss of full-time employment
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Death of a parent or spouse that occurred after the FAFSA was filed
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Divorce or separation that occurred after the FAFSA was filed
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Exceptional medical and/or dental expenses incurred and not paid by insurance
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Termination of benefits or income such as child support, alimony, SS benefits
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One-time occurrence of income such as a debt cancellation, an inheritance, or hardship IRA withdrawals
How to Apply
The special circumstance appeal review process may take 4-6 weeks to complete if all documents are received. See instructions on how to apply.
- Submit an unusual circumstance appeal on the document portal
- Click on “Manage Requests”
- Select Special Circumstance Appeal for the appropriate aid year
- Provide all requested documents to the financial aid office
Unusual Circumstances
Unusual circumstances are unique situations that may warrant changing a dependent student's status to independent, also known as a dependency override. These circumstances may be due to a severe family situation that prevents a student from including parent information on the FAFSA. Some examples of special circumstances are:
- Parental abuse or an abusive family environment
- Parental abandonment or severe estrangement
- Parental incarceration
- Human trafficking
- Refugee or asylee status where parents are displaced
- Unaccompanied and homeless youth
- Inability to contact parents
Situations that do not qualify
Financial aid offices are prohibited from granting appeals for the following reasons alone:
- Parents' unwillingness to pay for college
- Parents' refusal to provide information on the FAFSA
- The student's self-sufficiency or not being claimed as a dependent on taxes
How to Apply
The unusual circumstance appeal review process may take 4-6 weeks to complete if all documents are received.
- File the FAFSA
- Submit an unusual circumstance appeal on the document portal
- Click on “Manage Requests”
- Select Unusual Circumstance Appeal for the appropriate aid year
- Provide all requested documents to the financial aid office
Cost of Attendance Appeal
Student Loan Checklist for Graduating Students
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Complete Exit Loan Counseling
All federal student loan borrowers must complete Exit Counseling. This Counseling provides important information to prepare you to repay your federal student loans. It explains your loan responsibilities and when repayment begins. You are required to complete exit counseling before you graduate. Please complete Exit Counseling.
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Review your Loan History
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Review and access your loan history by logging into your Federal Student Aid account.
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Get to know your loan servicer. It’s important that you know who your loan servicer is and how to get in contact with them because you will eventually be making your loan payments to your servicer. Ensure you create an online account on your loan servicer’s website.
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Make on-time payments to your loan servicer. Your loan servicer will provide you with a loan repayment schedule that tells you when your first payment is due, the number and frequency of payments, and the amount of each payment. Contact your loan servicer if you haven’t received this information.
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To make repayment simple, you may enroll in auto-pay. Once you enroll, your payments will be automatically taken from your bank account each month. For additional information, check with your loan servicer for details.
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Review Loan Repayment Options
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Repayment Plans: Review the various Repayment Plans that are available. You can pick from repayment plans that base your monthly payment on your income or plans that give you a fixed monthly payment.
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Grace Period: For most federal student loan types, there is a six-month grace period before you must begin making payment.
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Create a Budget: Review your income and expenses to determine how much you can realistically afford to pay monthly toward your federal student loans. There are tools to help you create and plan your budget.
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Loan Simulator: The Loan Simulator helps you estimate monthly student loan payments and choose a loan repayment option that best meets your needs and goals.
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Learn About Loan Consolidation
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A Direct Consolidation Loan allows you to combine all your federal student loans into one loan with one monthly payment.
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Learn If You Qualify for Loan Forgiveness
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Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program: If you’re employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, you might be eligible for the PSLF Program. You must make 120 qualifying payments under an acceptable repayment plan to qualify and be working full-time for an eligible employer. For more information see Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
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Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF) Program: You may qualify for this program if you teach full-time for five complete and consecutive academic years in a low-income school or educational service agency and meet other qualifications. For more information see Teacher Loan Forgiveness.
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Know Your Options If You Can’t Make Your Loan Payment
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If you don’t pay the full amount due on time or if you start missing payments, your loan will be considered delinquent, and late fees may be charged to you.
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If you can’t make your payments, contact your loan servicer immediately for help. Your loan servicer may offer you temporary or long-term options, such as changing repayment plans, deferment, forbearance, or loan consolidation.
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Always contact your loan servicer if you are having trouble making payments and to manage your loans.
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Private Loans
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If you have borrowed private loans, contact your lender and confirm the total loans you have borrowed
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Make sure you have access to your lender account portal
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Work with the lender to understand your loan repayment options
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Institutional Work-Study is similar to the Federal Work-Study program but is funded directly by the institution rather than the federal government. This type of program is typically available to international and domestic students, but eligibility criteria may vary depending on the policies of the institution. Institutional Work-Study programs offer part-time job opportunities to International students to help them earn money to cover educational expenses.
Eligibility
For Institutional Work-Study program (IWS), you must:
- Be accepted into a program as a degree-seeking student.
- Be enrolled for 6 credits for domestic undergraduate and graduate students;
- Be enrolled for 9 credits for international graduate students (if less than 9 credits must be certified as full-time by the Office of Global Initiatives);
- Be enrolled for 12 credits for international undergraduate students (if less than 12 credits must be certified as full-time by the Office of Global Initiatives).
Through work-study, you could be a technical assistant, teaching assistant, computer-systems technician, programmer or Web developer, Web designer, help-desk consultant, or game-room desk attendant. There are plenty of different jobs to choose from. Read our work-study policies and apply for a job.
Steps to apply for hourly work-study positions via Cornerstone
Required Paperwork & Documentation
As a first-time work-study employee, you'll be required to submit (upon hire) documentation that establishes your identity and employment eligibility. You can submit any single document from List A, or any combination of one document each from List B and from List C, as identified in the "Lists of Acceptable Documents" on the last page of the Form I-9 (link below). All documents must be original documents and must be submitted in person at the Office of Student Financial Aid Services, located in the Student Mall.
- Confidentiality Form and policy (PDF)
- Employee Direct Deposit Enrollment
- FNIS Request Form (for International Students Only)
- Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification (PDF)
- Form W-4,Employee Withholding Certificate (PDF)
- Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate (PDF)
Getting Paid
The payroll is processed every two weeks.
You have the option to receive your earnings via two options:
- Direct Deposit - In compliance with the State of New Jersey mandate, NJIT is requiring all employees to be enrolled in direct deposit. To enroll, please visit here. Please complete the form and return it to the Payroll Office, Fenster Hall, Room 540, or electronically to payroll@njit.edu. Once the bank verifies routing and account numbers, the process is all set, and Direct Deposit can begin, normally within two weeks.
- Picked-Up - Checks may be picked up on pay Fridays in Fenster Hall, Fifth Floor, Distribution Window 548 between the hours of 10:00 am and 1:00 pm. Checks not picked up will be mailed to the preferred/permanent mailing address on file. Please be aware that checks mailed and not received may take up to 2 weeks to be replaced.
NJ Earned Sick Leave Law
- The New Jersey Earned Sick Leave Law enables hourly student employees to accrue and utilize paid sick time; additional information is available at: NJ Earned Sick Leave Law - Hourly Students.
International Tax Information
International Tax forms can be found on payroll website here.
Domestic students, meaning those who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens, are eligible to participate in the Federal Work-Study program if they meet the program's criteria. Once awarded Federal Work-Study as part of financial aid package, students can seek out eligible jobs and earn money to assist with educational expenses. The program typically encourages work in areas that complement the student's academic or career goals, providing valuable work experience along with financial assistance.
Eligibility
To be eligible for Federal Work-Study program, you must:
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- Be enrolled in classes as a degree-seeking student
- Have a Federal Work-Study program allocation as part of your financial aid package.
To find out what you're eligible for, complete the FAFSA if you haven't already done so.
Through work-study, you could be a technical assistant, teaching assistant, computer-systems technician, programmer or Web developer, Web designer, help-desk consultant, or game-room desk attendant. There are plenty of different jobs to choose from. Read our work-study policies and apply for a job.
Steps to apply for hourly work-study positions via Cornerstone
Required Paperwork & Documentation
As a first-time work-study employee, you'll be required to submit (upon hire) documentation that establishes your identity and employment eligibility. You can submit any single document from List A, or any combination of one document each from List B and from List C, as identified in the "Lists of Acceptable Documents" on the last page of the Form I-9 (link below). All documents must be original documents and must be submitted in person at the Office of Student Financial Aid Services, located in the Student Mall.
- Confidentiality Form and policy (PDF)
- Employee Direct Deposit Enrollment
- Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification (PDF)
- Form W-4,Employee Withholding Certificate (PDF)
- Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate (PDF)
Getting Paid
The payroll is processed every two weeks.
You have the option to receive your earnings via two options:
- Direct Deposit - In compliance with the State of New Jersey mandate, NJIT is requiring all employees to be enrolled in direct deposit. To enroll, please visit here. Please complete the form and return it to the Payroll Office, Fenster Hall, Room 540, or electronically to payroll@njit.edu. Once the bank verifies routing and account numbers, the process is all set, and Direct Deposit can begin, normally within two weeks.
- Picked-Up - Checks may be picked up on pay Fridays in Fenster Hall, Fifth Floor, Distribution Window 548 between the hours of 10:00 am and 1:00 pm. Checks not picked up will be mailed to the preferred/permanent mailing address on file. Please be aware that checks mailed and not received may take up to 2 weeks to be replaced.
NJ Earned Sick Leave Law
- The New Jersey Earned Sick Leave Law enables hourly student employees to accrue and utilize paid sick time; additional information is available at: NJ Earned Sick Leave Law - Hourly Students.
File Your FAFSA!
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is used to apply for federal, state, and institutional financial aid. You should file a FAFSA as soon as possible but no later than NJIT’s Priority filing deadline of March 1, to ensure full consideration for federal, state, and institutional aid. NJIT's institutional code for FAFSA is 002621. If you wish to be considered for New Jersey State grant eligibility, NJIT must be listed as your first school choice. If you need help, please call 1-800-433-3243.
Which FAFSA to be Filed
2026-2027 FAFSA: If you are attending school in Fall 2026 – Spring 2027
2025-2026 FAFSA: If you are attending school in Fall 2025 – Spring 2026
Prepare to Complete the FAFSA
Before starting the FAFSA, carefully read the tips for completing the FAFSA and watch Preparing for the FAFSA. Students will need the following to complete the application:
- Student and all contributors (spouse, parent and parent spouse) must create their StudentAid.gov account to access and complete the FAFSA (if not already created)
- Name, Social Security number, date of birth and email address of the student and all contributors (spouse, parent and parent spouse)
- Alien registration number (if the student is not a U.S. citizen)
- Federal Tax Returns, including W-2 information, for student, spouse and parents (if you are a dependent student, generally under the age of 24. Tax information is imported directly from the IRS but you should keep your tax returns handy for additional questions. The FAFSA requires federal tax information from the prior-prior year. For example, on the 2026-2027 FAFSA, families will need to report 2024 federal tax information
- Records of child support received
- Current balances of cash, savings, and checking accounts
- Net worth of investments, businesses, and farms
Stay Informed
- To ensure you receive updates from Federal Student Aid, log in to your StudentAid.gov account and confirm your current email address.
- Watch the “FAFSA FAQs” playlist to better understand what’s changed on the new form.
- Follow Federal Student Aid on social media for resources and announcements—including an alert when the new FAFSA form is available to complete.
Need Help?
- Visit the FAFSA Help page
Frequently Asked Questions
The new FAFSA offers a more streamlined application process and a better user experience for students and their families. Some changes and frequently asked questions are as below:
The FAFSA opens on October 1st.
Students should complete their FAFSA as soon as it becomes available on October 1st and before February 15th.
- Make sure you can log into StudentAid.gov account
- Find out if your parent(s) or spouse will need to be contributors (contribute their info on your FAFSA form).
- If your parent(s) or spouse will need to contribute to your form, make sure each contributor creates their own StudentAid.gov account. Even if a contributor doesn’t have a Social Security number, they will be able to create an account.
Some of the changes to the FAFSA include:
- The new FAFSA is a more streamlined and shorter form and has 46 questions. Because this form is dynamic, some students will be presented with less than 46 questions.
- Students may list up to 20 colleges and universities. Previously, this number was 10.
- Currently, the FAFSA is only available in English and Spanish. The application will be expanded to include the 11 most common languages.
- Watch the “Preparing for the FAFSA Form” playlist to understand what information and documents you’ll need to fill out the FAFSA form.
The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is being replaced by the Student Aid Index (SAI). The SAI is a number that’s used to determine eligibility for need-based aid. It is calculated using information that the student (and contributors, if required) provides on the FAFSA form. A student’s SAI can be a negative number down to –1500. SAI is replacing EFC because the term EFC created some confusion in the past and SAI more accurately reflects student’s need-based eligibility.
Financial need = Cost of Attendance (COA) – Student Aid Index (SAI) – Other Financial Assistance (OFA)
For dependent students, financial information will be required from the parent(s) who provided the most financial support to the student in the 12 months before filing the FAFSA. Previously, financial information was needed from the parent(s) the student had lived with the most in the last 12 months.
Both a dependent student and their parent must create their own StudentAid.gov account to complete their respective sections on the FAFSA.
- On the “Invite Parent(s) to This FAFSA Form®” view, the student will check the “My parent doesn’t have an SSN” box.
- The student will enter the parent’s address instead.
- Parent logs in with FSA ID, and the online FAFSA experience is exactly the same as for someone with an SSN with only one exception:
- ITIN field displays on “Parent Identity Information” view
- "Contributor" is a new term being introduced on the new FAFSA form.
- A contributor is anyone who is required to provide a signature on the FAFSA form as well as provide consent and approval to have their federal tax information transferred from the IRS directly into the form via direct data exchange.
- This includes the student and may include the student’s spouse, a biological or adoptive parent, or the parent’s spouse (stepparent).
- Non-adoptive grandparents, foster parents, legal guardians, brothers or sisters, and aunts or uncles, even if they helped provide for or raise the student are not contributors
- Contributors will receive an email informing them that they've been identified as such, and will need to log in using their own FSA ID (if they don't already have one) to provide the required information on the student's FAFSA.
- Contributor participation does not indicate financial responsibility.
All students and contributors must provide consent and approval to:
- Disclose their personally identifiable information (PII) provided on the FAFSA form to the IRS for matching purposes;
- Obtain their federal tax information directly from the IRS via the direct data exchange and allow the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to use their federal tax information to determine the student’s aid eligibility. This consent also allows ED to share their federal tax information with postsecondary institutions and state higher education agencies for use in awarding and administering financial aid.
- If a student or required contributor doesn’t provide consent and approval, the student will not be eligible for federal student aid—even if they manually enter tax information into the FAFSA form.
- Information about how federal tax information will be used and the consequences of not providing consent and approval will be included on the FAFSA form.
- Even if a student or contributor doesn’t have a Social Security number, didn’t file taxes, or filed taxes outside of the U.S., they still need to provide consent and approval
Family farms and small businesses will now count as assets, less the family's primary residence if it is also located on the farm.
Important Links
- Federal Student Aid Estimator
- 2026-2027 FAFSA (Paper)
- 2025-2026 FAFSA (Paper)
- 2026-2027 FAFSA Prototype (not a final demo) [Access Code: prototype2627]
- 2025-2026 FAFSA Prototype (not a final demo) [Access Code: prototype2526]
- 2024-2025 FAFSA Webinar
Resources
- Creating your StudentAid.gov Account
- Create an FSA ID Without a Social Security Number (English)
- Create an FSA ID Without a Social Security Number (Spanish)
- FAFSA Helpful Videos
- Prepare for the FAFSA Form
- Who is the Parent on the FAFSA
- Who is a Contributor
- How To Submit the FAFSA Form if Your Contributor Doesn't Have an SSN
Get Help With Basic Items
To address the college students' basic needs, the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE), launched a new tool to help college students locate basic need resources. Such basic needs include food, housing, transportation, childcare, healthcare, tax preparation, financial aid information and legal aid. To begin searching click here.