When submitting official government forms, you often need to sign them to verify that everything you input is true (to the best of your knowledge). If you don’t sign your FAFSA®, it won’t be processed, and you will miss out on possibly thousands of dollars of financial aid.
In the old days, you would fill out a paper version of the FAFSA®, sign it at the bottom with a pen, and then mail it in. Nowadays, with the online FAFSA®, you can sign digitally using an “FSA ID” (username and password). This serves as a legally binding signature. Nobody is allowed to sign on your behalf, not even your parents!
By signing, you are also certifying that:
You will use federal student aid funds solely for educational expenses related to your college;
You are not in default or owe an overpayment on an existing federal student loan or educational grant (and will notify your school if you become in default);
You understand that the Secretary of Education has the authority to verify income reported on this application with the Internal Revenue Service and other federal agencies.
You understand that if you purposely give false or misleading information, you may be fined up to $20,000, sent to prison, or both.