The
Department of Education PIN
The
Department of Education PIN (personal identification number)
serves as your identifier to let you access your personal information
in various U.S. Department of Education systems. It's like the
PIN you get from your bank that enables you to access an ATM.
Because your PIN serves as your electronic signature, you should
not give it to anyone.
The
PIN is something that you will want to have for all the years
you apply for financial aid. It can be used for numerous things
on Department of Education web sites, but for our purposes, the
main reason you will want a PIN is to speed up the processing
of your FAFSA.
If
you are a dependent
student, you will want your parent to get a PIN also by going
to the PIN web site at www.pin.ed.gov.
Click
on the link that says "Apply for a PIN" and follow the
directions. If you have an email address, make sure you enter
it. You will be able to receive your PIN in 3-5 days by email.
If
you have applied for financial aid in the past, you probably already
have a PIN. You can go to the PIN web site and request it be sent
to you by email. If you do not have an email address on file,
you can enter one.
The
PIN can be used to sign your application electronically, file
a renewal application, print a SAR, and make corrections to your
application on the Web. If you are a dependent student your parent
can sign your application with his or her PIN and cut 3-4 weeks
off the processing time.
PINs
can also be used to check your loan history at www.nslds.ed.gov.
