Filling out the FAFSA takes a lot less time than most people fear. It takes about 10 minutes to create an FSA ID. It takes less than an hour to complete a new FAFSA and about half an hour for a renewal FAFSA.
Even though the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has more than 100 questions, the FAFSA has many features that make it easier to fill out the form. The IRS Data Retrieval Tool lets you transfer income and tax information from your federal income tax return to the FAFSA. Intelligent skip logic uses the answers to earlier questions to avoid the need to ask later questions.
This table summarizes government data concerning how long it takes people to complete the online FAFSA. It shows the overall average time to submit the FAFSA from start to finish.
Type of FAFSA |
Dependent Students |
Independent Students |
New |
51 minutes |
27 minutes |
Renewal |
35 minutes |
17 minutes |
How to Speed Up Filing the FAFSA
To speed up filing the FAFSA, do the following:
- Create an FSA ID in advance. You don’t have to wait until October 1 to create a FSA ID.
- Gather the documents you’ll need to file the FAFSA in advance.
- Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Not only will this save you time completing the FAFSA, but it will also save you time later by reducing the odds that your FAFSA will be selected for verification.
- Use the myStudentAid FAFSA application app.
See also:
