Do Parents Fill Out the FAFSA?

I'm a bit confused about the FAFSA process. Do parents fill out the entire FAFSA form for college financial aid, or is there a part that the student needs to complete? I've heard there are sections for both, but I'm not sure how it works exactly. Any clarification would be appreciated!

In the FAFSA process, both parents and students are required to provide information. The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is used to determine a college student's financial need, and the information you provide should accurately reflect your family's finances.

Here's a brief overview of how it works:

- In the beginning, students are required to create an FSA ID to access the FAFSA form online and electronically sign the completed form. The student's information, which includes the social security number, driver's license number (if applicable), and some basic personal data, should be inputted.

- Following that, demographic information of the students is collected. This includes the student's marital status, citizenship status, and educational level, among other things.

- After the personal information section, the form asks about the student's financial status, inquiring about their income and taxes paid. This is where students report any income they have made in the past year. Students who are dependent on their parents will need to include their parents' financial information as well.

- Speaking of parents, they'll need to fill out several sections of the form, too. If you are a dependent student, your parents will need to provide their financial details such as their income and assets, and the date of birth and social security numbers of both parents. They also need to sign the FAFSA form (electronically, if it's submitted online) as well.

So in short, while parents do play a significant role in completing the FAFSA and provide a lot of the required information, students are also involved in the process and have sections they need to complete as well. This is a joint effort to ensure the most accurate information is provided to calculate the financial need of the student.