Central Washington University | FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions - Contributors

Select a question below to be directed to a detailed answer.

"Contributor" is a new term introduced on the 2024-25 FAFSA form. It refers to anyone asked to provide information on a student's FAFSA form including:
- The student
- The student's spouse
- A biological or adopted parent
- The parent's spouse (stepparent).
A contributor is NOT a grandparent, foster parents, legal guardian, brother or sister, aunt or uncle, even if they helped provide for or raise the student.
Being a contributor on the FAFSA form doesn't mean you are financially responsible for the student's education costs.

The student's or parent's answers on the FAFSA will determine which contributors (if any) will be required to provide information.

A contributor will be invited to complete their portion of the FAFSA form by entering their name, date of birth, Social Security number, and email address.
A contributor must provide personal and financial information in their own sections of the FAFSA form. Unlike previous versions of the FAFSA, no one other than the contributor will be able to enter the contributor's information.

Being a contributor does NOT imply financial responsibility. However, if a required contributor refuses to provide their information, it will result in an incomplete FAFSA form, and the student will become ineligible for federal, state, some CWU student aid.

Students that live with a single/divorced/widowed parent and receive most support from that parent, will report only one parent on the FAFSA.
The parent included in the FAFSA as a contributor must be the parent that provides the greater portion of the student's financial support. If that primary parent is remarried, the income of that parent's spouse (stepparent) will also be required.

According to the Federal Future Act, all students and contributors must provide consent to:
1. Have their federal tax information transferred directly into the FAFSA form via direct data exchange with the IRS;
2. Have their federal tax information used to determine the student's eligibility for federal student aid; and
3. Allow the U.S. Department of Education to share its federal tax information with postsecondary institutions and state higher education agencies for use in awarding and administering financial aid.
Important: Even if students or contributors don't have a Social Security Number, didn't file taxes, or filed taxes outside of the U.S., they still need to provide consent.

If a student or required contributor doesn't provide consent to have their federal tax information transferred into the FAFSA form, the student will not be eligible for federal student aid, WA state aid, and any need based CWU aid—even if they manually enter tax information into the FAFSA form. There is no exception to providing consent.
Information about how federal tax information will be used and the consequences of not providing consent will be included on the FAFSA form.
Legal parents must provide consent to transfer federal tax information, even if one of the parents didn't file or had no income. If parents fail to provide consent, the student won't be eligible to receive federal student aid, WA state aid, or CWU need based aid.

The Federal Student Aid website has made updates on this topic. Read more.

May 13, 2024

by University Relations

May 13, 2024

by University Relations

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