One well-kept folder of papers can save you hours in line at the aid office, the SNAP office and the registrar. This guide lists what nearly every office wants, the extra papers each situation brings, and how to replace anything that has gone missing.
Papers nearly every office wants to see
Start with a photo ID, your Social Security card and your birth certificate or another proof of citizenship or immigration status. Add your federal tax return or an IRS tax return transcript for the year the FAFSA uses, plus the same for anyone who counts as a contributor. Your FAFSA Submission Summary and your school's aid offer belong in the folder too.
Many benefit offices also ask for proof of address and proof of income. A current lease, a utility bill and your last few pay stubs usually cover both, and a class schedule or enrollment verification shows you are a student.
The extras your situation adds
Student parents should keep each child's birth certificate, child care receipts and any notice from a state child care assistance program. Working students should keep pay stubs that show weekly hours, since SNAP offices often ask for them, and a copy of the employer's tuition policy. Commuters may need a vehicle registration for a parking permit and a student ID for a reduced transit fare.
Veterans should keep the DD-214, the VA Certificate of Eligibility and the Joint Services Transcript, which the registrar uses to review credit for training. Students with disabilities should keep their documentation from a provider, each term's accommodation letter and any plan from vocational rehabilitation. Students on their own should keep a homelessness determination, a letter confirming foster care, and any court papers that bear on independent status.
When a renewal letter comes, put it at the front of the folder until it is done.
Keeping it organized
Use one paper folder with dividers and one digital folder with the same sections, such as identity, taxes, school and benefits. Scan or photograph every page when it arrives and name each file with the date and what it is. A plain name like a year followed by the words pay stub is easier to find later than a phone's default file name.
Keep a single sheet at the front that lists every office you deal with, its phone number and the last date you sent it something. When a renewal letter comes, put it at the front of the folder until it is done.
Replacing a missing document
A birth certificate comes from the vital records office in the state where you were born, which sets its own fee and proof rules. A replacement Social Security card is free from the Social Security Administration. A state ID comes from the state motor vehicle agency, and some states waive the fee for people who are homeless or leaving foster care.
Students leaving foster care can also ask their caseworker or the state child welfare agency for help gathering these papers. The campus liaison for homeless and foster youth often knows the fastest route in your state.
Keeping your papers private
Store the paper folder somewhere locked, and protect the digital copies with a password. Send documents only through an office's own portal or in person, and ask before you email a Social Security number.
Be wary of anyone who asks for a fee to gather your records or fill in a benefits form. The FAFSA is free to file at studentaid.gov, and the offices that run public benefits do not charge to apply.
Steps to take
- Gather your ID, Social Security card and birth certificate
- Download your FAFSA Submission Summary
- Add the papers your situation calls for
- Scan everything into one dated digital folder
- Order a replacement for anything missing
Who decides
The office asking for the document
Keep one folder with the papers every office asks for, plus the extras your situation adds, and replace anything missing before you need it.