Filling out the FAFSA is a simple process, but it requires entering personal information with great precision. This can especially be stressful when you’re asked to report numerical data like your tax return information. Having multiple children in college further complicates the process since you have to re-enter all the information on each child’s FAFSA form. Or do you?

In this article, we’ll reveal which steps to take when filling out the FAFSA to transfer parent information without having to enter it manually. We’ll also share tips on completing the form if you have more than one child.

How To Transfer Parent Tax Data to the FAFSA

Reporting your and your child’s information correctly on the FAFSA is important since inserting the wrong information may affect your child’s aid eligibility. Entering numerical data is the trickiest part—if you enter even one incorrect number, your data won’t be valid. 

This is why it’s best to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) when filling out the FAFSA. This tool electronically transfers your tax return information into your child’s FAFSA form, reducing your chances of making mistakes. You’re eligible to use the IRS DRT if you’ve filed a tax return with the IRS, unless:

• You’re married, and you or your spouse filed as “married filing separately”
• You’re married, and you or your spouse filed as “head of household”
• Your marital status is “unmarried and both legal parents living together”
• You filed a foreign tax return, a Puerto Rican tax return, or an IRS Form 1040-NR

How To Use the IRS DRT and the FAFSA To Transfer Parent Information

If you’re eligible to use the IRS DRT to transfer your tax information to the FAFSA instantly, you can do so by following these steps:

1. Start a new application on the FAFSA site or log in to your FAFSA form if you’ve already started the application
2. In the form’s finances section, click on the “Proceed to the IRS” button and log in with your FSA ID, and you’ll be transferred to the IRS to retrieve your tax information
3. At the IRS site, enter the exact information you see on your federal income tax return and click on the “Submit” button
4. Check the box that says “Transfer My Tax Information into the FAFSA” and select the “Transfer Now” button
5. Submit the form

Your tax information won’t be displayed on either the FAFSA form or the IRS site for your protection. However, you’ll know that you’ve successfully transferred the information because you’ll see the words “Transferred from the IRS” in the appropriate fields on your child’s FAFSA.

Do I Need To Create a New FAFSA Account for Each Child if I Have Multiple Children in College?

If you have multiple children in college, you and each of your children need to create separate FSA IDs—accounts with a username and password that serve as your/their legal electronic signature during the application process. Besides this, each of your children needs to fill out their own FAFSA form and provide your information when asked for it, unless:

1. They’re going to graduate school
2. They were born before January 1, 2000
3. They’re an independent student

How To Complete the FAFSA With Two Children in College

If you have two or more children, you don’t have to enter your information on the FAFSA form for each child separately. Instead, you can fill out the form for your first child and select the “Transfer FAFSA Information” button on the confirmation page. This will open a new window, and your second child can start with their application process.

Your child can start the FAFSA form themselves by entering their own FSA ID using the “I am a student” option, or you can start the form for them by entering your FSA ID and selecting the “I am a parent filling out a FAFSA form for a student” option. Regardless of who is filling out the form, the FAFSA will use “you” to refer to the student.

After you/your child complete the FAFSA and create a save key, you’ll be transferred to the introduction page. This means that the form successfully copied parental data to your second child’s FAFSA, and you’ll be able to see your information prepopulated when you check the parent information page. To finish up, verify the information, sign, and submit the FAFSA form.

If you have more than two children, repeat the process for each child.

How Does Having Multiple Children in College Impact Financial Aid?

Having more than one child in college impacts the Expected Family Contributions (EFC), known as the Student Aid Index (SAI) on the 2024–25 FAFSA. This number is calculated using information like your family’s income, size, and assets. The lower your SAI, the more financial aid your children are eligible to get.

If you have multiple children in college, your income and assets are divided between them, meaning your contributions per child are lower than they would be if you only had one child in college. Since the SAI indicates the amount of money the government believes you can contribute to each child’s education, having multiple children in college can lower this index, meaning your children may be eligible for more need-based aid than you expected.

However, need-based financial aid is calculated by subtracting the SAI from the cost of attendance (COA) at the institution your child plans to attend, so the aid your child is eligible for will greatly depend on the cost of their college.

How To Secure Financial Aid for Multiple Children

To increase the chances of all of your children getting financial aid, they can apply for more than one financial aid option. For example, you and your children can explore:

• Scholarships—They’re typically provided by colleges, governments, or organizations based on academic achievements or needs. Researching scholarships should be your first step when seeking financial aid since the money awarded through scholarships doesn’t have to be paid back
• Direct PLUS loans—These federal loans are designed for eligible parent borrowers (Parent PLUS) or graduate or professional students (Grad PLUS) to help cover the student’s college expenses
• Private loans—These are a good option to secure additional college funding if federal aid, scholarships, and your college savings aren’t enough to cover all expenses

While scholarship providers don’t require a credit score assessment to determine who deserves financial aid, private and Direct PLUS lenders assess your aid eligibility based on your credit profile. If your or your child’s credit history doesn’t meet the lender’s standards, your child may not be approved for the loan.

A great way to start building your child’s credit early and help them secure more financial aid options is to rely on platforms like FreeKick. This provider allows children to establish a strong credit score through its parent-sponsored credit building service, starting as early as the age of 13.

FreeKick—Premium Credit Building and ID Protection

FreeKick is an FDIC-insured deposit account and subscription service provided by Austin Capital Bank. It assists young adults and minors aged 13 to 25 in building credit with their parents’ help. FreeKick also offers identity monitoring and protection services for the whole family of up to two adult parents and six children.

Start Building Credit Early With FreeKick

By starting a credit score early, your child can potentially save more than $200,000 throughout their lifetime since a good credit profile improves their chances of obtaining loans with favorable terms and interest rates. This is why FreeKick offers parent-sponsored credit building services for children as young as 13. Here’s how to get started:

1. Create an Account—Go to FreeKick.bank and select a plan that fits your family’s needs and budget by considering the amount of deposit and annual fee tradeoff
2. Set It and Forget It—When the account is activated, FreeKick automatically starts building your child’s credit over the next 12-month period
3. Keep Growing—When the first 12 months end, you can either renew the account and keep building your child’s credit or close it and get a refund of your initial deposit

Keep Your Identity Protected With FreeKick

Alarming statistics reveal that a child’s identity is stolen every 30 seconds, and college students are among the groups most often targeted by identity criminals. This puts your child’s financial aid at risk since identity criminals may steal their information and use it to apply for financial aid, making your child’s application invalid.

To help you protect your child from identity theft and FAFSA fraud, FreeKick provides comprehensive identity monitoring and protection features for both adults and minors:

FreeKick Pricing

Regardless of your family budget, FreeKick offers a plan that fits your needs. Both available plans are FDIC-insured up to $250,000. Find more details in the table below:

Help your child start building credit early to secure a firm financial footing and protect yourself and your family from identity theft—sign up for FreeKick today.

Freekick provides a double dose of financial empowerment and security for your whole family. It helps teens and young adults build strong credit profiles and offers identity motoring for up to two adult parents and six children under 25.

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