Do I need to file FAFSA for 8-week summer course before graduation in 2025?
My son is taking an 8-week summer course to finish his degree and will be completely done with college in August 2025. We've already submitted his FAFSA for the 2024-2025 academic year, but I'm confused about whether he needs to submit another FAFSA application for just this final summer course. The summer session crosses into the new financial aid year and I'm not sure if his current aid package covers it or if we need to do the 2025-2026 FAFSA. Has anyone dealt with this before? Would hate to miss out on aid for his final class!
18 comments
Join the conversation
Javier Torres
Yes, he will need to complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA for that summer course. Summer courses typically fall under the upcoming academic year's FAFSA if they're after July 1st. Since his course runs into August 2025, which is part of the 2025-2026 financial aid year, you'll need to submit the new application to be eligible for aid during that period. The 2025-2026 FAFSA should be available starting in December 2024, so you'll have plenty of time to complete it.
0 coins
Natasha Volkova
•Thank you! I was confused because his university sometimes counts summer as part of the previous year. So to be clear, even though it's just ONE course in August, we still need the whole new FAFSA?
0 coins
Emma Davis
we had the same thing with my daughter last yr. her final summer class was in july. financial aid office told us its based on when the class ENDS not when it starts. So if his class ends in Aug then yea its the new fafsa year
0 coins
Natasha Volkova
•That's really helpful to know! I'll check with his specific school to confirm but this makes sense.
0 coins
Malik Johnson
It depends on how your son's school treats summer sessions for financial aid purposes. Many schools consider summer as a "trailer" to the previous academic year, while others treat it as a "header" to the upcoming year. You should contact the financial aid office directly to ask how they handle summer courses that cross into August. Also check if he's already reached his lifetime Pell Grant limits or annual loan limits under his current aid package. If he has, a new FAFSA might not result in additional aid anyway.
0 coins
Isabella Ferreira
•This is exactly right. I work in a university financial aid office, and our school treats summer as a trailer to the previous year. But I know many schools do it differently. The financial aid office at your son's school is the only place that can give you the definitive answer for his specific situation.
0 coins
Ravi Sharma
I tried calling my daughter's financial aid office about a similar question last month and was on hold FOREVER just to get disconnected! So frustrating!! I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to Federal Student Aid directly and they explained everything about summer course eligibility. Saved me so much time! They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ
0 coins
Emma Davis
•does that actually work? i hate waiting on hold for hours just to get disconnected
0 coins
Ravi Sharma
•Yes! They got me through to an actual person in like 10 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. Totally worth it.
0 coins
NebulaNomad
ur son might not even need financial aid for just one class? might be cheaper to just pay out of pocket for the last course rather than going thru all the fafsa hassle again. thats what my brother did for his last class
0 coins
Natasha Volkova
•That's a good point. I'll have to check the cost. He's been getting a significant Pell Grant though, so if he qualifies for that again it would probably be worth doing the FAFSA.
0 coins
Isabella Ferreira
This is a common question we get in the financial aid office! The key factor is how your son's specific school classifies summer sessions. Here's what you need to know: 1. Check if his school treats summer as a "trailer" (part of 2024-2025) or "header" (part of 2025-2026) 2. If it's a trailer, his current FAFSA covers it 3. If it's a header, you'll need the 2025-2026 FAFSA 4. Some schools let students choose which aid year to apply summer courses to Additionally, if he's receiving a Pell Grant, the "Year-Round Pell" provision might allow him to receive additional Pell funding for summer courses. I'd recommend contacting his school's financial aid office directly - this is exactly what they're there for!
0 coins
Freya Thomsen
•wait really?? you can choose which year to apply it to?? my advisor never told me this and i missed out on aid for my summer classes last year 😡
0 coins
Isabella Ferreira
•Not all schools offer this option, but some do have flexibility with how they classify summer courses. That's why it's so important to speak directly with your financial aid office about your specific situation.
0 coins
Freya Thomsen
Just fyi when I graduated my last semester i only needed 2 classes and financial aid wouldn't cover it because I wasn't full-time anymore. Had to take out a private loan. Super annoying. Check if there's a minimum credit requirement for whatever aid he's been getting.
0 coins
Natasha Volkova
•Oh no, I hadn't even thought about the credit minimum! He'll only be taking 3 credits for this last course. I'll definitely need to look into this - thanks for the heads up!
0 coins
Malik Johnson
Since we're in 2024 now, I want to clarify some information about the 2025-2026 FAFSA that wasn't mentioned yet: 1. The 2025-2026 FAFSA will follow the new simplified FAFSA format that launched this year 2. It should be available December 1, 2024 3. Your son's SAI (Student Aid Index) will be calculated, not EFC 4. Since it's his final course, make sure his graduation date is correctly listed File the application as soon as possible after it opens to maximize his aid eligibility. Even for one course, it's worth completing if he's been eligible for grants in the past.
0 coins
Natasha Volkova
•This is incredibly helpful information - thank you! I've been hearing about the new FAFSA format but wasn't sure how it would affect us. I'll mark my calendar for December 1st to get it submitted early.
0 coins