Back to FAFSA® Guide 2024-25

How to answer FAFSA® student demographics questions 

Find out how to correctly answer FAFSA® questions about your race and ethnicity, citizenship, and your parents’ background.

Student demographic information

Why do they need this info?

The FAFSA® asks for this information to use for research. Your answers won’t affect your financial aid.

Can I skip these questions?

No

How to answer these questions

  • Enter your gender and whether you’re transgender. Or select “Prefer not to answer” if you don’t want to share this info.
  • For the FAFSA®, “Nonbinary” means you don’t identify exclusively as male or female. It doesn’t refer to a transgender student who identifies exclusively as either male or female.
  • Transgender refers to a student whose gender identity is different from their sex assigned at birth.

Fafsa guide screenshot student demographics 

11 Student Demographic Information

What is the student's gender?

  • Male
  • Female
  • Nonbinary or another gender
  • Prefer not to answer

Is the student transgender?

  • Yes
  • No
  • Prefer not to answer

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Student race and ethnicity

Why do they need this info?

The FAFSA® asks for this information to use for research. Your answers won’t affect your financial aid.

Can I skip these questions?

No

How to answer these questions

  • Select the race(s) that best identify you and your heritage. Select more than one race if you need to.

Fafsa guide screenshot student race and ethnicity 

12 Student Race and Ethnicity

Is the student of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin?

  • No, not of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin
  • Yes, Mexican, Mexican-American, or Chicano
  • Yes, Puerto Rican
  • Yes, another Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin?
  • Prefer not to answer

What is the student’s race?

White

  • German
  • Irish
  • English
  • Italian
  • Polish
  • French
  • Other

Black or African American

  • African American
  • Jamaican
  • Haitian
  • Nigerian
  • Ethiopian
  • Somali
  • Other

Asian

  • Chinese
  • Filipino
  • Asian Indian
  • Vietnamese
  • Korean
  • Japanese
  • Other

American Indian or Alaska Native

  • Other

Native Hawaiian

  • Samoan
  • Chamorro
  • Tongan
  • Fijian
  • Marshallese
  • Other

Prefer not to answer

Student state of legal residence

Why do they need this info?

  • Your FAFSA® info may be shared with state agencies, so you can be considered for state aid programs on top of federal aid.
  • It’s a chance to get even more free college money — financial aid from your state! 

Can I skip these questions?

No

How to answer these questions

  • Enter your state’s two-letter postal abbreviation, and the month and year when you became a state resident.
  • If you’ve lived in your state your entire life, enter your birth month and year.

Fafsa guide screenshot student state of legal residence 

14 Student State of Legal Residence

State

Date the student became a legal resident

Parent education status

Why do they need this info?

  • Some schools and states offer financial aid programs specifically for “first-generation” students—those whose parents didn’t attend college.
  • If you’re a first-generation student, you could qualify for additional financial aid money. That’s more free money for school!

Can I skip these questions?

No

 

How to answer these questions

  • Check yes if either parent attended college.
  • If either parent attended college but didn’t graduate or earn a degree, you’ll still check yes.

Fafsa guide screenshot parent education status 

15 Parent Education Status

Did either of the student’s parents attend college?

  • Yes
  • No
  • Don’t know

Parent killed in line of duty

Why do they need this info?

  • This question will help determine if you’re eligible for federal aid programs that help students whose parent was killed in the line of duty while serving in the military on or after September 11, 2001 (9/11/01).
  • This type of federal aid may also be available if your parent was a public safety officer killed in the line of duty on or after 9/11/01.
  • You could also qualify for financial aid programs from your school or your state for students in this situation.
  • “Public safety officer” can mean:
    • Law enforcement officer, firefighter, or chaplain
    • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employee
    • Emergency management or civil defense agency employee
    • Member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew
    • Others defined in the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.

Can I skip these questions?

No

How to answer these questions

  • Check yes if your parent or guardian was killed in the line of duty while serving in the military on or after September 11, 2001.
  • Also check yes if your parent or guardian served as a public safety officer during this period and was killed in the line of duty.

Fafsa guide screenshot parent killed in line of duty 

16 Parent Killed in Line of Duty

Was the student’s parent or guardian killed in the line of duty while (1) serving on active duty as member of the armed forces on or after September 11, 2001, or (2) performing official duties as a public safety officer?

  • Yes
  • No

2024-25 FAFSA® questions 

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