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The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is required to collect signatures from the applicant and his/her parents (if applicable) when the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is filed. By signing the FAFSA (electronically or on paper) the applicant is assuming responsibility for the accuracy of the information reported and agreeing to the terms of the Statement of Education Purpose.
The FAFSA cannot be processed until signature(s) are received. There are three ways to sign the FAFSA depending on whether it is filed electronically or using the paper form:
- electronically with a Personal Identification Number (PIN);
- by printing, signing and mailing a signature page after submitting it electronically; or
- by signing in section seven of the paper FAFSA and returning it in the mail.
Electronic applications and corrections that are missing signatures will be held for 14 days for 2008-09 before a rejected Student Aid Report (SAR) is sent to the applicant.
Personal Identification Number (PIN)
Using a PIN to sign the application electronically is the fastest and most reliable way to sign the application. It currently takes 1-3 days to get a PIN electronically as opposed to the 10 days it would take a signature page to be received and processed through the mail. Now for the 2008-09 academic year, the PIN can be issued in real-time before a successful match with the Social Security Administration (SSA) occurs so the applicant or parent can immediately sign the application.
If the applicant and/or parent of a dependent applicant does not currently have a PIN, refer to the PIN page within this section, then access ED’s PIN Web site and follow the instructions for obtaining a PIN. Applying for a PIN is a one-time process. Parents and students may not share a PIN; each will need to apply for their own. However, the parent and student can use their own PIN for signing the FAFSA application from one year to the next. In additions, parents can use the same PIN for processes involving different children.
The PIN can also be used to electronically sign the following application forms:
- FAFSA on the Web;
- Renewal on the Web;
- Corrections on the Web;
- FAFSA en Espanol
- FAFSA de Renovacion en Espanol
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