FAFSA 2023 vs 2022 tax information - can I use old returns and update later?

For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, you actually need to use your 2023 tax information, as that's the required base year. You cannot substitute 2022 data. The simplified FAFSA now uses the IRS Data Retrieval Tool automatically, so you'll need those 2023 taxes filed before completing the application accurately.\n\nAnd yes, the student still starts the application and adds contributors (parents) who need to provide information. The student initiates everything with their FSA ID, then the parent completes their section with their own FSA ID.

Oh no! We really need to submit soon because of some scholarship deadlines. Is there any exception process? Can I estimate our 2023 income and then correct it later?

just went thru this with my kid. you HAVE to use 2023 taxes for the new fafsa. it wont let you use 2022 at all. the system is directly connected to irs now so either file ur taxes or wait. sucks but thats how it works now

That's so frustrating! Do you know if there's any way to request a special exception from schools about the scholarship deadlines? I'm worried she'll miss out on thousands of dollars because of our tax delay.

I work in a financial aid office. For 2025-2026 FAFSA, you must use 2023 tax information - this is non-negotiable with the new system. However, you have two options:\n\n1. File your taxes immediately, even if they're not perfect. You can always amend them later.\n\n2. Contact each school's financial aid office directly about your situation. Many schools have provisional processes for scholarships while waiting for official FAFSA data. They may accept estimated information for scholarship consideration with the understanding that final aid will be based on actual FAFSA.\n\nAnd yes, the student creates the FAFSA and then adds contributors (parents). Each contributor needs their own FSA ID to complete their section.

when u say 'file taxes immediately' does that mean e-file or can they just mail in paper forms? do they have to wait for the IRS to process before doing FAFSA?

To clarify for everyone: you need to have your taxes *processed* by the IRS before the information will be available in the FAFSA system. E-filing is much faster (usually 2-3 weeks for processing) while paper returns can take 6-8 weeks or longer to process. So e-filing is strongly recommended if you're in a time crunch.

Thank you for explaining! We'll e-file this weekend. One more question - after our taxes are processed, how long does it usually take for that information to be available in the FAFSA system?

I HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM!! We couldn't file our 2023 taxes on time because of some missing K-1 forms from an investment. I called the Federal Student Aid helpline about 15 times and NEVER got through. Kept getting disconnected or had to hang up after waiting 2+ hours.\n\nFinally tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an FSA agent in under 20 minutes. They confirmed what others are saying - you absolutely must use 2023 tax info. But the agent gave me specific instructions for contacting each school about provisional scholarship consideration while we wait. Totally worth watching their demo video (https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ) to see how it works. Saved my sanity!

did u still need to file ur taxes before calling them or did they let u submit the fafsa without it? trying to decide if i should rush file our taxes or wait for some documents

You still need to file your taxes before completing the FAFSA - the FSA agent couldn't change that requirement. But they helped me understand the timeline and gave me specific language to use when contacting schools about scholarship deadline extensions. We ended up rush-filing our taxes with estimates for the missing K-1 info (our accountant said we could amend later if needed).

Thank you for sharing your experience! I'm going to contact the schools directly about the scholarship deadlines while we get our taxes filed ASAP.

Every school has different policies for incomplete FAFSA situations!!! My daughter applied to 6 colleges and literally each one handled it differently! Some were super accommodating with scholarship deadlines when we explained about tax delays, others were TOTALLY rigid and she missed out on $$$ at her top choice. The whole system is a mess this year with the new FAFSA changes. Nobody seems to know what they're doing.

That's exactly what I'm afraid of! Did any schools give her provisional scholarships pending the final FAFSA? Or did they just extend the deadlines?

Two schools gave provisional scholarships based on her academic record and said they'd adjust if needed once FAFSA came in (they didn't end up changing anything). One extended their deadline by 3 weeks. The others basically said

Just to give everyone the latest information: For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, once your 2023 tax return is processed by the IRS, it typically takes 1-3 business days for that data to be available through the FAFSA's direct data exchange system. This is actually faster than the old system where the Data Retrieval Tool could take up to a week to update.\n\nAlso, since several people asked about estimating - the new FAFSA doesn't have an estimation option. The system directly imports tax data from the IRS, so your taxes must be filed and processed first.

yeah the new system is way faster once ur taxes r actually done! my kids info showed up like the next day after we got our return acceptance from irs. but definitely e-file dont do paper!!!

Update: We e-filed our taxes yesterday and I've contacted my daughter's top three schools about the situation. Two of them were really understanding and said they'd hold her scholarship application while we wait for the FAFSA to process! The third school referred me to their institutional scholarship form which doesn't require FAFSA completion yet, so we're submitting that today. Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I'll update again once our tax info is available in the FAFSA system.

That's great news that two schools are being accommodating! Just wanted to add for anyone else in this situation - make sure to keep documentation of all your communications with the schools about deadline extensions. I learned this the hard way when one school's financial aid office didn't have a record of the verbal extension they gave me over the phone. Having emails saved me from missing out on a scholarship. Also, some schools have separate priority deadlines for need-based aid vs merit scholarships, so double-check those dates too since they might be different from the general FAFSA deadline.

As someone who just went through this maze with my own kid, I can't stress enough how important it is to be proactive with school communications! Each financial aid office really does handle these situations differently. A few tips from our experience: When you call schools, ask to speak specifically with a financial aid counselor (not just the front desk) and get their direct email/extension. Some schools have online portals where you can submit documentation about your situation too. Also, don't forget to check if any of your daughter's schools have their own institutional aid forms that don't require FAFSA completion - these can sometimes bridge the gap for scholarships while you're waiting. The CSS Profile schools especially might have separate processes. Good luck with everything! The new FAFSA system definitely has a learning curve but it sounds like you're handling it well by being proactive with the schools.