You will either fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application (CDAA); not both. Your parent’s citizenship status does not impact which application is chosen; it is only based on the student’s citizenship status:

If you have a Social Security Number or are a permanent resident (have a green card), you will complete the FAFSA. If you are a non-resident of the United States, you will complete the CDAA.

STEP 1: CREATE AN FSA ID (for FAFSA) BEFORE WORKSHOP 06

You will need to create an FSA ID, and your parent will need to create their own FSA ID. Use the image above to determine which parent(s) need(s) to input their information.

To create an FSA ID, each person will need their:
• Mobile phone number and/or email address
• Social Security number (SSN). If your parent does not have one, that’s okay! When the FAFSA asks your parent to enter their SSN, enter 000-00-0000

STEP 2: COMPILE THE BELOW DOCUMENTS BEFORE WORKSHOP 06

To complete the FAFSA or CDAA, you will need:
• Student’s Social Security number (it’s important that it’s entered correctly on the FAFSA form!)
• Parents’ Social Security numbers (if parents are not US Citizens, there is a way around this step)
• Student’s driver’s license number if they have one
• Permanent resident information if the student is not a US Citizen
• Federal tax information or tax returns including IRS W-2 information, for student’s parents:
• IRS 1040
• Foreign tax return, IRS 1040NR, or IRS 1040NR-EZ
• Tax return for Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or Palau
• Records of untaxed income, such as child support received, interest income, and veterans noneducation benefits
• Information on cash; savings and checking account balances; investments, including stocks and bonds and real estate (but not including the home in which you live); and business and farm assets for you