FAFSA Resources

What is FAFSA?
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a yearly application students and prospective students complete to determine their potential Financial Aid eligibility. Submitting the FAFSA opens the door to federal financial aid such as: grants, work-study, and scholarship opportunities.

The 2025-2026 FAFSA is open! Apply today.


FAFSA Workshops at Mesa Community College (Southern & Dobson)
February 24 to May 7
(excluding week of March 10 - 16)
Every Tuesday: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in Building BA, Room 6W
Every Wednesday: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Building BA, Room 1E
RSVP


 

See more helpful FAFSA videos

Where can I get help with FAFSA?

You should never pay to get assistance to complete the FAFSA or pay to fill out the FAFSA form.
This is a free application!

Meet with a local FAFSA Expert
Arizona student and families can schedule a FREE FAFSA assistance meeting with a FAFSA expert to help them complete the form. Appointments take place virtually via Zoom, Google Meets, or Microsoft Teams.

Schedule a Meeting


Text Benji
Students and families can text FAFSA questions to Ask Benji - Arizona's free, digital FAFSA assistant and you'll receive an immediate answer. Get started with this digital assistant by texting "Hi Benji" to 602-786-8171.

Learn more about Ask Benji

 
Local School

Talk to your high school counselor, or college and career specialist about resources your school may provide.


Universities
The financial aid offices at ASU, NAU and UArizona can assist students and parents with FAFSA questions.


Federal Student Aid
The Federal Student Aid website offers a wealth of FAFSA resources for students and families.

Creating your Federal Student Aid Identification

The Federal Student Aid Identification, also called the FSA ID, is the first step to completing your FAFSA. It is a username and password that students and parents create to access the FAFSA and electronically sign the form.

*For Students and Parents with a Social Security Number

Steps to Create an FSA ID

Visit: studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch

  1. Click “Get Started”
  2. Enter Personal Information
  3. Create Username and Password
  4. Verify your Email Address
  5. Complete Challenge Questions
  6. 2-Step Verification
  7. Review and Submit
  8. Make sure to write down or take a picture of your FSA ID username and password as a reminder!
  9. Repeat the process to have your parent create an FSA ID, too! They will need to input their information and a separate email address.

*PLEASE NOTE: If your parent(s) do not have Social Security Numbers, they cannot create FSA IDs at this time, but they will be able to do so later this fall. More information on this process to come!

Helpful Tips
To ensure ongoing access to your email account beyond high school, please avoid using your school email address. Instead, create and use a personal email address, such as one from Gmail or Yahoo, to guarantee continued access to your account after graduation.

Remember to securely store your username and password for future reference. You can either save this information on your cell phone or in a safe location to ensure easy access when needed. Never share your username or password.

Can I edit my FSA ID?
Yes. If your personal information changes or you would like to update anything on your account, you can make changes by logging in at studentaid.gov and selecting “settings” under your account information.

What if I forget my FSA ID username or password?
You can retrieve your username or reset your password by having a secure code sent to your phone/email. You may also answer your challenge questions, but this option comes with a 30-minute waiting period before you can use your account again.