Students, parent(s), spouses, and other contributors to the Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) are required to create their account username and password to sign the financial aid application and for FAFSA to provide consent.
Do I create a FASFA or CADAA account?
The financial aid you get depends on your immigration status, and you should create the account to complete the application you're eligible for. Check the chart below to see which financial aid applications you can use based on your immigration status.
Immigration Status |
Financial Aid Application Eligibility |
Undocumented and Eligible for AB 540, including DACA Recipients |
CADAA |
U.S. Citizens & Eligible Non-Citizens That Are Eligible for AB 540, excluding DACA Recipients |
|
Undocumented and NOT Eligible for AB 540, including DACA Recipients |
Not Eligible for FAFSA or CADAA |
T Visa Holder |
FAFSA |
U Visa Holder and TPS |
CADAA |
How to Create FAFSA Account Username and Password
When completing the FAFSA, students and their contributors must create their account username and password to complete the application, provide a signature, and provide consent. Students and their contributors to the FAFSA should go to https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch to create their account username and password. For more information about who is considered a contributor and who needs to provide consent, view this article: 2024-2025 FAFSA Contributors and Providing Consent.
How to Create CADAA Account Username and Password
When completing the CADAA, students and their parent, if applicable, must create their account username and password to complete the application and provide a signature. For students, to get started, visit https://dream.csac.ca.gov/landing and click "Start". If eligible for the application, you will be prompted at that time to create your username and password. Parents will be required to create an account by visiting https://dream.csac.ca.gov/parent. Please note that for 2024-2025, it is expected that the parent PIN will be discontinued. Please check this webpage on or after December 31, 2023, when new account access is created: https://dream.csac.ca.gov/parent.