Do you need to submit FAFSA every semester or just once a year?

You only need to submit the FAFSA once per academic year, not every semester. The academic year typically runs from fall through summer. Your financial aid will be distributed each semester based on that single annual application. The 'renewal' your advisor mentioned probably refers to confirming enrollment hours or satisfactory academic progress between semesters, not filling out a whole new FAFSA.

Nope not every semester! once a year is all u need 👍

When I was at community college last year I thought the same thing! But you just do FAFSA once for the whole year (fall+spring+summer). BUT make sure you're registered for enough credits each semester to keep your aid - I lost my Pell Grant spring semester because I dropped to 5 credits and didn't realize that was below the threshold.

The FAFSA application covers a full academic year (fall, spring, summer), not individual semesters. However, your school might require additional steps each semester to confirm your continued eligibility. This could include verifying your enrollment status, checking your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), or confirming you still meet other aid requirements. Also important: you'll need to submit a new FAFSA for each academic year. The 2025-2026 FAFSA opened on December 1st, 2024, and you should complete it as early as possible even if you're currently receiving aid for 2024-2025.

THEYRE LYING TO U!!!! My cousin went to State and they made him submit new FAFSA every single term!!! The whole system is rigged to make it complicated so students give up and don't get aid. watch out for the verification process too - they'll randomly select u and make u submit MORE docs even after fafsa is approved!!

Financial aid counselor here! Let me clarify a few points: 1. FAFSA is submitted once per academic year (typically covering fall, spring, and summer semesters) 2. What happens each semester: - Your enrollment status is verified (full-time, part-time, etc.) - Your Satisfactory Academic Progress is checked - Your financial aid is disbursed according to your enrollment 3. You DO need to submit a new FAFSA each ACADEMIC YEAR (not semester) 4. Some schools may have additional forms each semester for institutional aid Hope this helps clarify things!

Did anyone else get stuck in verification hell trying to reach a human at FSA? I spent WEEKS trying to get someone on the phone when they flagged my FAFSA for verification.

Everyone is missing an important point. The FAFSA is indeed once per academic year, BUT if you're attending summer classes and were part-time in fall/spring, you might need to complete a separate Summer Financial Aid Request form at your school. This isn't a new FAFSA, but it's an additional form many schools require to determine summer aid eligibility since summer is technically the end of the aid year and some students have exhausted their annual eligibility.

my school makes us fill out a form every semester to confirm enrollment but its not the actual FAFSA its just like a one page thing that takes 2 min

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact confusion last year! You definitely only need to submit the FAFSA once per academic year, but here's what I wish someone had told me: keep copies of all your documents (tax returns, bank statements, etc.) because even though you won't need to resubmit the FAFSA every semester, you might get selected for verification randomly throughout the year. Also, if your family's financial situation changes significantly (job loss, medical bills, etc.), you can submit a Professional Judgment appeal to your financial aid office - this is separate from the FAFSA but can help adjust your aid mid-year. The key is staying in communication with your school's financial aid office because they're really the ones who know all the specific requirements and deadlines for your institution!

As someone who just went through this process for the first time, I can confirm what everyone is saying - FAFSA is once per academic year! But I learned the hard way that you should also check your student portal regularly between semesters. My school required me to accept/decline my aid package for spring semester even though I had already done FAFSA in the fall. It wasn't a new application, just confirming I still wanted the aid. Also, pro tip: set reminders now for when the next year's FAFSA opens (usually October 1st) because priority deadlines fill up fast! The earlier you submit, the better your chances for certain types of aid.

Just to add another perspective - I'm currently in my second year and can confirm it's once per academic year! But here's something that might help ease your stress: even though you only fill out the FAFSA once, your school's financial aid office is usually really good about sending reminders if you need to do anything between semesters. They WANT you to get your aid, so they'll email you if there are any action items. Also, if you're ever unsure about something, don't hesitate to call or visit your financial aid office - they're used to these questions and are super helpful. I was so overwhelmed my first year but now I realize the process is way more straightforward than it initially seemed!

Hey! I'm new to this whole financial aid process too and was wondering the same thing. Reading through all these responses has been super reassuring! I'm planning to start at community college next fall and was worried I'd have to go through that whole document-gathering process multiple times per year. It's good to know it's just once annually, but I'm curious - when exactly should I be filling out my first FAFSA? I keep seeing different dates mentioned (October 1st, December 1st) and I want to make sure I don't miss any deadlines. Also, should I be doing anything now to prepare, like gathering documents early? Thanks everyone for all the helpful info!

As someone who just finished their first year of college, I can totally relate to this confusion! The FAFSA is definitely just once per academic year, but here's what I learned that might help: keep track of your school's specific deadlines and requirements because some schools have additional forms or steps between semesters. My school required me to confirm my enrollment status each semester and complete a "Satisfactory Academic Progress" review, but these were quick online forms, not a whole new FAFSA. Also, I'd recommend signing up for text/email alerts from your financial aid office - they'll notify you of any action items so you don't have to stress about missing something important. The whole system seems overwhelming at first, but once you get through your first year, it becomes much more manageable!