Do you need to know your college choice before submitting FAFSA? (2025-2026)

You definitely don't need to know your final college choice before submitting FAFSA. That's actually one of the major benefits of the form - you can list up to 10 schools that will receive your information. When you get your acceptance letters and financial aid packages, then you decide where to attend. Just make sure to list all the schools you've applied to (up to that 10 max). The schools will automatically receive your FAFSA data once it's processed and your SAI (Student Aid Index) is calculated. Your parents are right about completing it early - some aid is first-come, first-served at many institutions.

I was SO confused about this exact same thing last year!!! I ended up waiting until I got accepted places and almost missed out on so much aid. BIG MISTAKE. Do it now and list all the schools. You can always update it later but some scholarships have early deadlines even before acceptances come out. Don't be dumb like me lol

Your parents are giving you good advice. Here's how the FAFSA process works regarding schools: 1. You can list up to 10 schools on your FAFSA application initially 2. Each school will receive your financial information and SAI once processed 3. If you need to add more schools later, you can edit your FAFSA to add/remove schools 4. Each school will determine their own aid package based on your FAFSA data 5. You don't need to resubmit your entire application to add schools I recommend completing your FAFSA as soon as possible. While federal aid amounts won't change based on when you apply (as long as you meet the deadline), many schools award their institutional aid on a first-come, first-served basis. Also, some states have very early deadlines for state-based financial aid. Once you decide which school to attend, you'll simply accept that school's financial aid package and decline the others.

I don't know if anyone else had this problem, but I had THE WORST time trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid when I needed to add schools after submitting. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for literally hours. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that held my place in line and got me connected to an actual human. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Saved me so much frustration. Just thought I'd mention it since you said you got disconnected twice already.

this happened to me last year and i submitted without listing all my schools and guess what???? I GOT IN SOMEWHERE I DIDNT LIST ON FAFSA!! had to go back and update everything and almost missed out on a huge scholarship because the school didnt get my info in time. dont be me lol

One more important thing: make sure the schools you list have the correct federal school codes. You can find these on each school's financial aid website or by using the search function on the FAFSA form itself. Using incorrect codes could mean your information never reaches the right school.

everyone keeps saying to hurry but honestly the federal deadline isnt until JUNE 30th 2026 for the 2025-2026 fafsa. ur parent's are being dramatic unless u live in a state with early state aid deadlines. the pell grant and federal loans aren't first come first served.

Thanks everyone for the advice! I'm going to sit down with my parents this weekend and submit my FAFSA with all 7 schools listed. Super relieved to know I can add more later if needed. Definitely don't want to miss out on any aid opportunities by waiting too long.

Great decision, Kelsey! You're being smart about this. Just wanted to add - when you're filling out the FAFSA, double-check that you're using the 2025-2026 form (not the 2024-2025 one) since it sounds like you're applying for fall 2025 enrollment. The forms look very similar but using the wrong year's form is a common mistake that can really delay your aid processing. Also, keep copies of everything you submit - it'll make things so much easier if you need to reference anything later or if any schools have questions about your application.

Hey Kelsey! I just went through this exact same process last year and wanted to share something that really helped me. After you submit your FAFSA with all your schools listed, create a simple spreadsheet to track each school's financial aid deadlines and requirements. Some schools have additional forms beyond just the FAFSA (like CSS Profile or their own institutional aid applications) and the deadlines can vary wildly between schools. I almost missed a $5,000 scholarship opportunity because I didn't realize one of my schools had a separate application due in February. Having everything organized in one place made it so much easier to stay on top of all the different requirements and deadlines!