12.04.07 | Department of Education Announces Real-Time FAFSA PINs
Source: FAFSA blog
From NASFAA:
Beginning January 1, 2008, students and parents will be able to apply for and receive a “real-time” PIN when completing a FAFSA on the Web (www.fafsa.ed.gov) or when applying for a PIN on the Department’s PIN Web site (www.pin.ed.gov).
After determining that 97 percent of PIN applicants provide correct information (i.e. social security number), the Department decided to make this real-time PIN available not only for first-time PIN applicants but also for those who have lost or forgotten a previous PIN. After receiving the real-time PIN, applicants will be able to change the PIN to a number that is meaningful to them.
First-time PIN applicants will instantly receive a conditional PIN that will allow them to electronically sign their FAFSA on the Web. The conditional PIN can only be used to sign the original application that students and/or parents are completing at the time they applied for the PIN. The data supplied by the PIN applicant will then be verified with the Social Security Administration (SSA). If the applicants’ PIN information is accurate, the conditional PIN will then be good for all processes that require a PIN in the future. If the applicants’ data does NOT pass the SSA match, they will receive a SAR with a rejected signature comment and the school will receive a rejected ISIR. The students and/or parents will then need to provide the required FAFSA signatures. Students and parents will need to correct PIN data to receive their PINs.
The 2008-09 Process Guide for Student Web Application Products provides more guidance about how the real-time PIN process will work. The following is taken from that guide.
* Real-time PIN – When applying for a PIN, requesting a duplicate PIN, or changing a PIN, applicants can receive their PIN in real-time. Whether system-generated or user-selected, if the applicant chooses to display or personalize the PIN or receive the PIN via e-mail, he or she can use the PIN immediately to sign the application.
* SSA Match – The Social Security Number (SSN), name, and date of birth information submitted by the applicant and parent is transmitted for a match with the Social Security Administration (SSA). If the SSN, name, and date of birth are successfully matched, the PIN remains valid and becomes a permanent PIN. 98% of student records and 97% of parent records are successfully matched with the SSA, so this change will positively impact the application process for the vast majority of students and parents.
* PIN Status Information – Using the PIN Web site, the applicant can check the status of a PIN application and learn the results of the data match with the SSA.
* Successful SSA Match – After receiving a successful SSN match from SSA, the PIN can be used to access SAR information on the Web, make corrections using Corrections on the Web, and access personal information on other Federal Student Aid Web sites.
* Unsuccessful SSA Match – If the match with the SSA is not successful (does not result in a match flag of “4″), we alert the student. We ask the student to apply for a new PIN using the correct information if the information provided on the PIN Application is not correct, or to contact the SSA if the information is correct. The student is unable to use the PIN until the SSA match is successful.
By Susan Luhman
NASFAA Assistant Director for Professional Assessment, Training, and Regulatory Assistance
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The online FAFSA was already a great time saver, but this is going to make it even quicker. It took about a day to get the PIN last time, but it seems like the whole application could be done in an hour or two.
December 13th, 2007 | #
I am not able to find out whose Social Security number goes on the fafsa app anywhere! Simple question to answer, very frustrating!
January 12th, 2008 | #
Wow. This is truly an intelligent decision for once on the government’s behalf. Only problem is, IT DOESN’T WORK. Sure, I applied for a pin on my mom’s behalf and received one. But, when I try to sign the FAFSA with it, it lets me know that it is conditional and may only be used to sign the FAFSA. Then, my choices are to try again or exit. I tried again and got the same result. It says, sure, you can use it to sign your FAFSA, so try again. Please explain to me what sense this makes??? You can use it, but you can’t use it. You must sign another way. FAFSA keeps getting oh-so better and better, doesn’t it?
April 26th, 2008 | #