StudentAid.gov �Account Creation Process

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A resource for counselors, CBOs, and partners supporting students and contributors

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What to expect:

• There are 7 steps to StudentAid.gov account creation.
• The account creation process takes between 5–15 minutes for a student or contributor.
• You're welcome to use the email content and explainer content we have provided to help people understand what this is all about

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Resource Needs:

• Make sure you're in a place with good WiFi and/or good cell phone service.
• Students and contributors will most likely need access to their cell phones.
• It's possible to create accounts on a variety of devices, but we sometimes hear of difficulty creating an account with Chromebooks.

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Translation/Interpretation:

• If you need these account creation steps in Spanish, select "Español" in the upper right corner of the page.

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• For other common translation needs, try this updated page for interpretation with written “Get Started” content in Mandarin, Cantonese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, French, Korean, German, Arabic, Russian, and Haitian Creole. 

• While we only have written “Get Started” content in those 10 languages (plus Spanish and English), speakers of +60 other languages can call 833-610-2590 for verbal support.  They should press “7” and they will reach an agent. After reaching an agent, the caller (or person helping them) should say “Interpreter" followed by the name of the language they would like. 

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Where to start:

• Users can create an account from the main StudentAid.gov page, via the buttons circled below

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Where to start:

• Select “Get Started”

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Step 1:

• Many users will have questions about name length. There is a 12 character limit for first names, and a 16 character limit for last names. Users should input as many characters as will fit.
• Middle names. If multiple, choose the initial for one in your legal name.
• There will also be many questions about special characters. For help with all of those questions, use the hints and “user education” included (see in red)

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Common Error:

SSN Already in Use!

• If you receive this message, don’t panic! You may already have an account.
• Check to make sure you correctly entered your own SSN.
• Verify that a parent did not already create an account for you, often for dual enrollment.
• You can call the main StudentAid.gov helpline 1-800-433-3243 to recover your account if needed.

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Step 2:

• Use your own PERSONAL email. This is an account you will have for life.
• THIS EMAIL CAN ONLY BE USED ONCE and must be unique to each user. Parents and students cannot share an email across two separate accounts.
• Make sure your inbox has room to receive emails!
• We strongly recommend avoiding work and school emails, which you are more likely to lose access to in the future. 

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Step 3:

• For homeless students, use an address where the student can receive mail.
• For multiple addresses, use an address where the student receives mail.

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Common Error:

Phone Number Already in Use!

• If you receive this message, don’t panic! The phone number may already be attached to an account for someone who had that phone number before you.
• If this happens, remember that phone number is optional, and you can skip it.

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Step 4:

• Select your preferred methods, choose one required and up to 2 optional methods

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Step 5:

• These are for helping you recover your account if you’re locked out. Choose questions you will remember the answer to years later.
• These fields will not accept answers with only 1 or 2 characters. Nor will they accept answers with more than 50 characters.

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Step 6:

• Confirm your previous responses

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Step 7:

• You do NOT need to set up an authenticator app!
• (Though there are benefits of doing so, this particular step is generating some errors currently)
• You should do this in a place with good WiFi and/or good cell phone service, so that you can then receive a secure code via email or text for two-step verification.

Common Error:

An Unknown Error Has Occurred

• This can happen at several points in the account creation process but is most common at this step.
• We are working to resolve this issue
• If this happens, wait a few minutes, see if you still receive an account creation “Success” email.
• If you do, please click on the success email and sign in to your account
• It may prompt you to re-enter some information that might be missing from your first attempt. Do this and resubmit.
• If you didn’t receive a “Success” email after 5-10 minutes, you might need to start over.

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Step 7:

• You should do this in a place with good WiFi and/or good cell phone service, so that you can then receive a secure code via email or text for your two-step verification code.
• You are required to verify your email address.
• Verifying your cell phone is optional. You can also do this later on.

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Common Error:

An Unknown Error Has Occurred

• This can happen at several points in the account creation process but is most common at this step.
• We are working to resolve this issue
• If this happens, wait a few minutes, see if you still receive an account creation “Success” email.
• If you do, please click on the success email and sign in to your account
• It may prompt you to re-enter some information that might be missing from your first attempt. Do this and resubmit.
• If you didn’t receive a “Success” email after 5-10 minutes, you might need to start over.

Step 7:

• Save this backup code for future reference!

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Success Screen:

• You’re not done yet. Make sure that your contributor(s) also creates an account.
• If you aren’t sure whether a contributor is needed, read our explainer graphic.
• If you aren’t sure which person is your contributor, use our "Who counts as a parent on the FAFSA® form?" tool.