The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is a college student’s gateway to financial aid, be it grants, work-study programs available at your school, federal student loans, or state and school financial aid awards. The documents or information you actually need to provide as part of your FAFSA application will depend on your status as a “dependent” or an “independent” student, U.S. citizenship, and the tax forms you (and your contributors – i.e., your parent, your parent’s spouse or partner, and/or your spouse) used. If you can’t provide parent information, you can indicate that on your FAFSA form, but call your school’s financial aid office right away and explain your situation.