FinAid FAFSA News: Federal PIN number replaced by username and password

Before May 10, students and parents completing the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) were required to create a 4-digit PIN number to sign the FAFSA and access their previously-entered Federal Student Aid information. On May 10th, 2015 the Department of Education began requiring the use of a username and password to submit and access this data, rather than a PIN number.  This username and password will be required to log in to any federal financial aid website. This includes both www.fafsa.ed.gov and www.studentloans.gov.

What does this change mean for me?

Submitted your FAFSA already?
If you completed your 2015-16 FAFSA before May 10 using a PIN number, you won’t need to re-submit the FAFSA. You’ll merely need to create a Federal Student Aid (FSA) account with the new username and password system to access or change your FAFSA information. If you don’t need to change anything on your FAFSA this year, you’ll just need to create a username and password the next time you submit the FAFSA.

Students considered to be “Dependent” who previously required a parent PIN to complete the FAFSA will be prompted to create a username and password in place of the parent PIN as well.

Haven’t submitted your FAFSA?
If you have not already updated your 2015-16 FAFSA, you will be prompted to set up a username when you log in to www.fafsa.ed.gov to complete it.

Students, or parents of dependent students, who have never filed a FAFSA will just set up a new Federal Student Aid account using the new username and password system.

What about applying for parent PLUS loans? 
Because this Dept. of Education change affects all federal financial aid websites, parents applying for the parent PLUS loan will need to use the new username and password as well. (The same username and password will access your information at fafsa.ed.gov and www.studentloans.gov.)

How do I create a username and password?

A link to set up a username and password (and link it to an existing PIN number, if applicable) may be found at https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm.
Our Financial Aid Office staff went through the process to illustrate the steps for you–see the screenshots below.

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More information about the FSA PIN replacement may be found at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/fsaid#pin-replacement.

A Frequently Asked Questions page may also be helpful: https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/pub/faq.htm.

If you have any further questions about this process or its implications for you, contact the Judson College Financial Aid Office at (334) 683-5170.

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