Financial Aid

Federal Student Aid: Creating and Using the FSA ID

NTC’s Federal School Code: 005387 

The 2025-26 FAFSA form will not be changing from last year’s major revision, but the U.S. Department of Education is working to “significantly improve” the FAFSA experience. 

Here are things you should keep in mind as you prepare for the 2025-26 FAFSA: 

• Students who plan to attend college between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, should file this application. 
• Both students and parents must create Student Aid Accounts using a username and password and get an FSA ID to complete the application.
• The term Expected Family Contribution (EFC) has been replaced with Student Aid Index (SAI). This is an index number used to determine a student’s financial need. This name more accurately describes the number used to determine aid eligibility and, unlike the EFC, the SAI may be a negative number down to -1500.
• What income is reported?  High school seniors graduating in 2025 will use the 2023 income tax information to apply for aid for the 2025-2026 school year.
• Tax information is accessed as part of the FAFSA application. Previously, users had the option to enter their tax information manually or use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Now, all persons on the FAFSA must provide consent for the Department of Education to receive tax information or confirmation of non-filing status directly from the IRS. In a very small number of cases, students and families will have to enter their tax data manually, but for most, that data will be automatically transferred into the application. This change makes it easier to complete the FAFSA and reduces the number of questions to be answered. Under the new changes, the Social Security Administration will require verification of FSA IDs before tax information will be accessible, so you should allow for at least three days to elapse after creating an FSA ID before filing your FAFSA application.
• Family farms and small businesses must be reported as assets. When required, families must now report the value of their small business or family farm. If the family farm includes the principal place of residence, applicants should determine the total net value of all farm assets and subtract the net value of their principal residence to determine the final value of their farm assets.
• For applicants with divorced or separated parents, the old rules stated that it was the parent who the student lived with most was the one who completed the FAFSA. Now, it’s the parent who provides the most financial support in the prior calendar year who completes the application. There is an updated resource to assist students in determining who is considered a parent on the FAFSA:  Who is considered a parent?

Contributors

A contributor refers to anyone (student, the student's spouse, a biological or adoptive parent, or the parent's spouse) who's required to provide information on the FAFSA form. A student's or parent's answers on the FAFSA form will determine which contributors (if any) will be required to provide information. Students or parents will invite a contributor to complete their portion of the FAFSA form by entering the contributor's name, date of birth, SSN, and email address.

Note: If a contributor doesn't have an SSN, they can still be invited to complete their portion of the FAFSA form. To invite a contributor who doesn't have an SSN, the student or parent will indicate that the contributor doesn't have an SSN and will instead provide the contributor's mailing address.

Contributors without an SSN who create a StudentAid.gov account may need to complete an identity validation process after they create the account. The U.S. Department of Education has made adjustments so that contributors who do not have an SSN can still contribute to the FAFSA form while they are completing the identity validation process. Once they create an account, they’ll immediately be able to access and complete the FAFSA form by logging in with their StudentAid.gov account username and password. They’ll have access to the form while they complete the mandatory identity validation process. See How do I verify my identity if I create an account and don’t have a Social Security number (SSN)? for more information.

To complete the contributor's portion of the FAFSA form, the contributor will:

1. Receive an email informing them that they've been identified as a contributor
2. Create a StudentAid.gov account if they don't already have one
3. Review information about completing their section of the FAFSA form, and
4. Provide the required personal and financial information and consent and approval on the student's FAFSA form.

IMPORTANT: A parent or spouse contributor is not financially responsible for the student's education costs. However, if a required contributor refuses to provide their information and consent and approval, the FAFSA form will be incomplete, and the student will not be eligible for federal student aid.

FAFSA Information Sessions and FAFSA Filing Workshops

FAFSA Completion Help Events at NTC

The FAFSA Completion Events have now ended. We appreciate everyone who helped spread the word to students needing assistance with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Our final event, scheduled for Monday, February 17 at the NTC Wittenberg Campus, had no registrations and has been cancelled. Students who still need help completing their FAFSA can reach out to the Financial Aid Office by emailing financialaid@ntc.edu or calling 715.803.1647.

We kindly request that students complete a registration for the event they wish to attend for FAFSA filing assistance.

College Goal Wisconsin

College Goal Wisconsin is affiliated with a national event that provides free information and assistance to families who need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) the federally required form for students seeking financial aid, such as grants and loans. Completing the FAFSA is the first and most important step in qualifying for aid to help pay for college.

College Goal Wisconsin will be available in both the traditional in-person format as well as provide a virtual option to assist students and their families in completing the 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

NTC’s Wausau Campus will again serve as a host site for one in-person event on Tuesday, January 21. The event starts promptly at 6 p.m. Please enter campus through the Main Entrance.

NEW — Antigo High School will serve as a host site for College Goal Wisconsin on Wednesday, January 8.

NEW — Chequamegon High School will serve as a host site for College Goal Wisconsin on Monday, January 13.

Register for a College Goal Wisconsin Event

Helpful Financial Aid Resources

For detailed Financial Aid information and helpful resources, please see our Financial Aid section for current students.

Have Questions?

Please contact the Financial Aid Office by calling 715.803.1647 or emailing financialaid@ntc.edu.