Confused about FAFSA year for mid-year college enrollment - 2024-2025 or 2025-2026?

You should definitely complete BOTH the 2024-2025 AND the 2025-2026 FAFSA forms. Since your son started in January 2025, that's still part of the 2024-2025 academic year, so you need that FAFSA for his current semester. Then you also need the 2025-2026 FAFSA for the upcoming fall semester and beyond. Don't wait on the school's 3-week response time - you want to get both forms submitted ASAP to maximize his aid eligibility.

my daughter started mid-year too and we did both forms. the financial aid ppl said we HAD to do both otherwise she wouldn't get $ for either semester!!

You are NOT too late for the 2024-2025 FAFSA! The form is available until June 30, 2025. However, many colleges have their own priority deadlines for aid that might have already passed. Your son may not get the maximum institutional aid possible, but he should still be eligible for federal aid like Direct Loans and possibly Pell Grants depending on your SAI (Student Aid Index). For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, you definitely want to complete that as soon as possible since many schools distribute aid on a first-come, first-served basis. The new FAFSA Simplification has caused delays for everyone this year, so don't feel too behind.

Yes, absolutely let the financial aid office know! After you submit both FAFSAs, send them an email explaining the situation and include your son's student ID number. This will help them match up his files correctly and ensure nothing falls through the cracks. Also, make sure you're using the correct tax information: - 2024-2025 FAFSA: Uses 2022 tax information - 2025-2026 FAFSA: Uses 2023 tax information If you have any trouble reaching your financial aid office by phone (which is common this time of year), I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They helped me get through to my daughter's financial aid office after weeks of trying. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works.

my son did a spring start too and we missed doing the first FAFSA and he got ZERO aid for that semester! had to take a private loan with crazy interest. dont make our mistake!!!!

i think everyone here is making this more complicated than it needs to be. just call the school's financial aid office and ask them which form they need. every school handles this stuff differently, especially with mid-year starts.

The whole FAFSA system is SUCH A NIGHTMARE this year!!! We submitted our 2024-2025 form in December and it STILL shows "processing"!! Now they want us to submit 2025-2026 too?? The govt needs to fix this broken system before forcing families to jump through these ridiculous hoops. My daughter nearly lost her scholarship because of these delays!

One more important point - make sure you understand how your son's SAI (Student Aid Index, which replaced the old EFC) might be different between the two FAFSA years. If your family income changed significantly between 2022 and 2023, that could affect his aid eligibility for each period. Also, once both FAFSAs are processed, I recommend scheduling a meeting with his financial aid counselor to review his specific aid package. Mid-year starts sometimes have access to different institutional scholarships or grants that aren't automatically considered.

btw dont forget to list ALL the schools he might transfer to on both FAFSAs! my daughter ended up transferring after her first semester and we had to redo everything because we didnt list that school

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say how helpful this thread has been! I'm in a similar situation with my daughter who's planning a January 2026 start, and I was completely lost about the FAFSA timing. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been so much more informative than the confusing government websites. It's reassuring to know that both forms are needed and that there are still options even if you miss some deadlines. The tip about Claimyr for reaching financial aid offices is gold - I'm definitely bookmarking that for when I need to get through to someone. Thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences!

As someone who just went through this exact situation last year, I can confirm that you absolutely need both FAFSAs! My son also started in January 2025, and I initially made the mistake of only filing the 2025-2026 form thinking "he's starting in 2025, so that's the one he needs." WRONG! The financial aid office explained that the academic year runs from fall to summer, so January 2025 is still part of the 2024-2025 academic year. We had to scramble to get the 2024-2025 FAFSA submitted, but thankfully we weren't too late. Just want to echo what others have said - don't wait on your school's response time. File both forms now and then follow up with the financial aid office. The peace of mind is worth it, and your son will thank you when he gets aid for both semesters instead of having to take out expensive private loans like some families here had to do.