FAFSA 2025-2026 Missing Cash/Savings Section - Will Application Be Rejected?

This is actually normal for the 2025-2026 FAFSA! The new simplified FAFSA no longer requires reporting of cash, savings, and checking account balances. They're using a streamlined formula that focuses on your tax return data rather than asking about specific asset categories. Your application won't be rejected for missing this information because they're not asking for it anymore. This is part of the FAFSA Simplification Act that's been rolling out in phases.

lol same thing happened 2 me i spent like 20 min looking for where to put my bank $$ before i gave up and just hit submit anyway. havent heard anything bad yet so guess its fine ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The 2025-2026 FAFSA has undergone significant changes through the FAFSA Simplification Act. Assets like cash, savings, and checking accounts are no longer directly reported. The new formula uses the Federal Student Aid Index (SAI) which primarily relies on income data from your tax returns rather than asset information. If your child is applying to private colleges, be aware they may still require the CSS Profile which DOES ask for detailed asset information including savings accounts.

I just went through this process last week and freaked out about the EXACT same thing!! Spent an hour on hold with the FAFSA help line before giving up. Submitted anyway and got my son's SAI calculated without any issues - it came back within 3 days. The new system is SUPER confusing with all these changes and the new website layout. They should really explain this better on the form itself!

This actually worries me. My daughter has over $18k in her savings account from working through high school, and now that doesn't get reported at all? Seems like they're missing important financial information. Has anyone actually confirmed with the Department of Education that this is intentional and not a glitch?

Update: I ended up submitting the FAFSA without entering the savings account info (since there was nowhere to put it). Got my daughter's SAI back in 4 days! Everything seems fine, though her SAI was slightly higher than I expected based on our income. Does anyone know if there's a way to see exactly how they calculated it?

my cousins fafsa got rejected cuz he didnt report bank accounts but that was last year so maybe they changed it??

Thanks everyone for your help! I checked the "View SAI Calculation" section and now understand how they arrived at our number. It's such a relief to know this wasn't a mistake on my part. For anyone else confused by the new system, definitely check out that calculation breakdown - it shows exactly what income elements they're using now instead of the old asset questions.

As someone who just went through this process with my twin daughters, I can confirm this is completely normal! The simplified FAFSA is actually a huge improvement once you get used to it. We had around $8k in savings that I was stressing about reporting, but like everyone said, it's not required anymore. Both girls got their SAI calculations back quickly and we're already seeing aid offers from their colleges. The whole process took maybe 30 minutes compared to the 2+ hours it used to take with all those asset questions. Just make sure your tax info is accurate since that's what they're really focusing on now!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now with my son's FAFSA! I kept refreshing the page thinking it was a technical glitch when I couldn't find anywhere to enter our $15k in savings. Reading through all these responses is such a relief - I was literally about to call the financial aid office at his top choice school to ask if they needed a separate form for asset information. It's wild how much the system has changed! Does anyone know if this simplified approach actually helps most families get more aid, or does it vary a lot depending on your specific financial situation?

Just want to chime in as another parent who went through this exact panic! I spent hours searching through every page of the FAFSA thinking I must have missed the savings section. Even called my accountant thinking we needed to report it somewhere else for tax purposes. It's incredible how much simpler this new system is once you understand the changes - wish they had put a big notice at the beginning explaining that asset reporting was eliminated! For anyone still worried, I submitted without any asset info back in January and my daughter just got accepted with a great financial aid package. The new formula really does work as intended.

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm currently filling out my daughter's FAFSA for 2025-2026 and was having the exact same panic about the missing savings section. We have about $9,000 in our checking account that I was sure needed to be reported based on everything I'd heard from other parents. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring - it sounds like the new simplified system is actually working as intended and not some kind of error. It's amazing how much stress this change has caused for so many families! I'm going to go ahead and submit our FAFSA today. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and outcomes - it really helps us newcomers navigate this confusing process!

I'm a newcomer to this community and currently going through the 2025-2026 FAFSA process with my daughter. This thread has been incredibly helpful! I was having the exact same panic about not finding where to report our savings account balance. We have around $6,500 saved up and I kept thinking I was missing a crucial step that would mess up her financial aid. Reading everyone's experiences and confirmations about the FAFSA Simplification Act changes has put my mind at ease. It's reassuring to see so many parents who successfully submitted without asset information and received their SAI calculations without issues. Thank you to everyone who took the time to explain how the new system works - it really helps those of us navigating this for the first time!

I'm new to this community and currently filling out my first FAFSA for my daughter's 2025-2026 school year. This entire thread has been a lifesaver! I was literally losing sleep over not finding where to enter our $11,200 in savings accounts. I even started a new FAFSA application thinking I had somehow skipped a section the first time. It's incredible how many of us went through this exact same panic - really shows how poorly communicated these changes have been. Reading about everyone's successful experiences with the simplified system gives me confidence to finally hit submit. The fact that the new formula focuses on tax information instead of assets actually seems much more straightforward once you understand what's happening. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and explanations about the FAFSA Simplification Act - it's made all the difference for stressed parents like me!