Accidentally submitted FAFSA for wrong year (2023-2024) in March - will resubmission hurt aid chances?

Don't panic - this happens more often than you'd think. The 2023-2024 FAFSA was available until June 30, 2024, so that's why you were able to submit it. I work in a university financial aid office, and we see this every year. Here's what you should do: 1. Contact each school's financial aid office immediately and explain the situation 2. Ask if they'll still consider your son for institutional aid despite missing the priority deadline 3. Federal aid like Pell Grants and Direct Loans should still be available regardless Many schools have discretionary funds they can use even past deadlines. The key is communicating with them ASAP.

ugh same thing happened to my brother!! the interface is confusing af. he ended up getting aid but it was less than his friends who applied on time :/ good luck

This exact scenario happened to me with my daughter's FAFSA. We submitted for the wrong year in February, realized it in April, and had to resubmit. Here's what we learned: 1. Schools with strict deadlines - We lost some institutional aid at two schools, roughly $2,400 and $3,800 respectively. They were transparent that this was due to missing the priority deadline. 2. Schools with rolling deadlines - Three other schools still gave her full consideration for all aid types despite the late submission. 3. Federal aid - She still received her full Pell Grant and loan eligibility at all schools. The key was being proactive. We called each financial aid office, explained the situation honestly, and asked what could be done. Some were more flexible than others. Her SAI (Student Aid Index) wasn't affected by the timing.

How do u even submit for the wrong year?? Doesn't it clearly show which year ur applying for on like every screen?

THE FAFSA SYSTEM IS LITERALLY DESIGNED TO CONFUSE PEOPLE AND CREATE THESE EXACT PROBLEMS!!!!! I've been helping students with financial aid for years and the number of unnecessary barriers they put in place is INFURIATING. The entire 2024-2025 FAFSA rollout has been a DISASTER with the new "simplified" form. You didn't do anything wrong - their system is fundamentally broken. Call each school, explain what happened, and document EVERYTHING. Get names, dates, and follow up every call with an email summary. The system is designed to deny aid through bureaucratic nonsense. DON'T LET THEM WIN!

Have you tried calling the Federal Student Aid office directly? They might be able to flag your application or provide documentation that you can send to your schools explaining the situation. I spent HOURS trying to reach them about a similar issue last month and kept getting disconnected or stuck on hold. Finally discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me through to an actual person in about 20 minutes! They have a video demo of how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - seriously saved me so much frustration. The FSA agent I spoke with was able to document my situation in their system which helped when I was talking to schools.

ur fine most schools save some money 4 late apps anyway

wait did u fix the tax info from 2022 to 2023 when u resubmitted? cause that would be different numbers right??

I'd like to clarify something important about your situation. For the 2024-2025 FAFSA, you correctly used 2022 tax information. This is because FAFSA uses what's called "prior-prior year" tax data. So: - 2023-2024 FAFSA uses 2021 tax information - 2024-2025 FAFSA uses 2022 tax information - 2025-2026 FAFSA will use 2023 tax information If you accidentally submitted using the wrong tax year information on either application, that could create additional complications. It might be worth reviewing what tax information you provided on both submissions to ensure consistency and accuracy.

my cousin works in financial aid and she says if you go in person and cry they usually find money for you lol worth a try

I'm a high school counselor and see this situation every year - you're definitely not alone! Here's my advice based on what I've seen work: 1. **Document everything**: Keep records of both FAFSA submissions, including confirmation numbers and dates 2. **Write a brief explanation letter**: Draft a one-page letter explaining the error that you can send to each financial aid office 3. **Be persistent but polite**: Follow up if you don't hear back within a week The good news is that federal aid (Pell Grants, Direct Loans) is still available regardless of timing. For institutional aid, it really varies by school - some are very strict about deadlines while others are more flexible, especially for honest mistakes like this. Also, don't forget to check if any of his schools offer emergency or late-applicant funds. Many institutions set aside a small portion of their aid budget specifically for situations like yours. Some schools even have "summer melt" funds available in June/July when other students decline their offers. You're being proactive by addressing this now - that's exactly what you should be doing!

I just went through this exact same nightmare last month! Submitted for 2023-2024 in April, realized my mistake in early May. Here's what happened: **The good news:** All 4 schools my daughter applied to were understanding when I called and explained. Two of them said it happens "more than you'd think" and one financial aid officer even laughed and said "welcome to the club." **What actually happened with aid:** - State schools: No impact on federal aid, lost about $1,500 in state grants at one school but the other honored everything - Private schools: One reduced institutional aid by $2,000, the other actually gave us MORE aid (apparently they had funds freed up from students who declined) **My advice:** 1. Call TODAY if possible - don't wait until tomorrow. Some offices have evening hours or emergency lines 2. Ask to speak to a supervisor if the first person says there's nothing they can do 3. Mention that you've already submitted the correct year application - shows you're responsible 4. Ask about appeal processes if they initially say no The stress is absolutely terrible (I didn't sleep for a week) but it worked out better than I expected. Your son will get aid - it might just look a little different than originally planned. Hang in there!

I'm a financial aid administrator at a mid-size public university, and I want to reassure you that this situation is much more common than you think! We probably see 15-20 families each year who submit for the wrong award year, especially during the transition periods when both forms are available. Here's what I recommend based on how we handle these cases: **Immediate steps:** 1. Call each school's financial aid office and ask to speak with a counselor who handles appeals or special circumstances 2. Be honest about the mistake - we appreciate transparency and it shows you're not trying to game the system 3. Ask specifically about their "professional judgment" process, which allows aid officers to make exceptions for unusual circumstances **What to expect:** - Federal aid (Pell, loans) will be unaffected since you've now submitted the correct year - State aid varies by state - some have strict deadlines, others are more flexible - Institutional aid is where you might see the biggest impact, but many schools have discretionary funds for exactly these situations **Documentation that helps:** - Screenshot showing your original incorrect submission date - Confirmation email from your correct FAFSA submission - Brief written explanation of what happened The fact that you caught this in May rather than July or August actually works in your favor - we still have time to work with you. Don't panic, and definitely don't assume the worst case scenario. Most schools want to help students succeed!

I work at a community college and want to add some perspective that might be helpful! Community colleges often have more flexible aid policies and later deadlines than four-year universities. If your son is considering any community college options for his first year or two, they might be worth exploring as a backup plan since many of them award aid on a first-come, first-served basis rather than strict priority deadlines. Also, I wanted to mention that some students in situations like yours have found success by writing a formal appeal letter to accompany their phone calls. Include specific details like: the exact dates of both submissions, confirmation numbers, and emphasize that this was an honest mistake rather than procrastination. Sometimes having something in writing helps the financial aid office document your case for their records when they're requesting additional funds from their institution. Don't give up hope - I've seen students in much worse situations still receive substantial aid packages. The key is being proactive and persistent (but polite) in your communications with each school.

I'm a financial aid counselor at a private college, and I want to echo what others have said - this happens ALL the time, especially with the confusing FAFSA rollout this year. We've actually had to create a whole protocol for handling these cases because we see them so frequently! Here's what I tell families in your exact situation: **Timeline matters less than you think:** While yes, priority deadlines are important, schools budget for these situations. We typically hold back 5-10% of our institutional aid specifically for appeals, late applications, and situations like yours. **Your approach should be:** 1. Call first thing Monday morning (financial aid offices are usually busiest later in the week) 2. Ask for a supervisor or senior counselor who handles "professional judgment cases" 3. Use the phrase "good cause exception" - this is financial aid speak for legitimate mistakes **What will actually help your case:** - The fact that you submitted immediately after discovering the error shows responsibility - You have confirmation numbers for both submissions - This wasn't procrastination - it was an honest mistake with their confusing system I've seen students in your situation receive full aid packages even submitting in June or July. The key is that schools WANT to give aid - we're not trying to find reasons to deny students. Your son will be fine, I promise! The stress you're feeling is way worse than the actual outcome will be.

I'm a parent who went through something very similar two years ago with my daughter, and I want to add one more piece of advice that really helped us: when you call the financial aid offices, ask specifically if they have a "waitlist" for institutional aid. What happened with us was that even though we missed the initial deadline, the school put my daughter on their financial aid waitlist. Then in late June, when several students declined their admission offers, those institutional aid funds became available again and were redistributed to students on the waitlist. My daughter ended up receiving almost the same aid package she would have gotten if we'd applied on time. Also, don't overlook smaller private scholarships that might still be accepting applications. Many local community organizations, businesses, and foundations have summer deadlines specifically because they know students sometimes need additional funding after their initial aid packages come through. You're doing everything right by addressing this immediately. The financial aid officers I spoke with all said that parents who catch these mistakes quickly and are proactive about fixing them are much more likely to still receive substantial aid. Your son is lucky to have such an advocate!

I'm a recent college graduate who went through a similar FAFSA mix-up during my application process, and I want to share what ultimately worked for me. My family accidentally submitted for the wrong year in April, and we were absolutely panicked about missing aid opportunities. Here's what made the biggest difference in our case: **The "emergency circumstances" angle:** Instead of just calling it a mistake, we framed it as an emergency circumstance that prevented timely submission. Many schools have specific protocols for emergencies that bypass normal deadline restrictions. **School-specific research:** Before calling each school, we looked up their specific financial aid policies online. Some schools explicitly state they reserve funds for late applicants or have rolling deadlines. Knowing their policies helped us tailor our approach. **Student involvement:** While parent advocacy is important, having your son call or email directly after you've made initial contact can be really powerful. Financial aid officers often respond well to hearing directly from the student about how this affects their educational goals. The outcome for me was actually better than expected - I ended up at my top choice school with nearly the same aid package I would have received with on-time submission. The key was persistence and approaching each school as an individual case rather than assuming they'd all respond the same way. You're handling this exactly right by acting quickly and seeking advice. Your son is going to be fine, and this won't define his college experience!