FAFSA 2025-2026: No 'Renew' Button Anymore? Confused about 'Start New Form' Option

You're right - the 'renew' button isn't there anymore for 2025-2026. Everyone needs to select 'start new form' now after logging in. But don't panic! It should still pull in basic information from your FSA ID account (name, contact info, etc.). However, with the new simplified FAFSA, you will need to re-enter some financial information and school selections. The form is shorter overall though, so it shouldn't take as long as you're fearing.

Thank you! That's somewhat reassuring. Do you know if I'll need to re-enter all my school codes again? That was such a pain last time.

YEP IT'S GONE!! This new system is DRIVING ME CRAZY!! I spent THREE HOURS trying to figure out where the renew button went before giving up and hitting 'start new form' - and guess what? I had to redo PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING!! The only thing it remembered was my basic info. Had to re-enter all tax info, all schools, EVERYTHING!!! Why would they make it WORSE???

same. took me 4ever 2 do mine last week. total waste of time compared to last yr

Financial aid advisor here - yes, this change is confusing many families. The Department of Education removed the renewal option as part of the FAFSA Simplification Act implementation. While it seems counterintuitive, they've redesigned the entire form to be shorter overall. \n\nWhen you select 'start new form':\n- Your basic demographic info will transfer (name, DOB, contact info)\n- You will need to re-enter your schools (unfortunately)\n- Financial information requires new consent for direct IRS data transfer\n- Household information needs to be re-entered\n\nOn the positive side, the new form has fewer questions overall, and the direct data transfer from the IRS is more comprehensive when it works properly.

Thank you for explaining! That helps a lot. I wish they'd made it clearer on the website that this was an intentional change and not a glitch. Do you know approximately how long it should take to complete with the new format?

I had the same panic moment last week! Started a new form and yeah, it pulled in some of my basic info but I had to re-select all my schools and redo the financial stuff. But honestly it only took about 40 minutes total which was shorter than last year. The new SAI calculation seems totally different though, got a completely different number than last year even though our finances are about the same??

40 minutes isn't too bad! Did you use the direct IRS data transfer thing? And yeah, I heard the SAI calculation changed completely - hoping it works in my favor but who knows...

I've been trying to reach the Federal Student Aid helpline for THREE DAYS about this exact issue! Kept getting disconnected or waiting forever. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual person at FSA. They have this video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ\n\nThe agent confirmed that yes, everyone has to use 'start new form' and re-enter their school codes and financial information. But she also said the new form is designed to be less time-consuming overall, so it should be faster than previous years once you get used to the new format.

does that claimyr thing actually work? i might try it cuz i have questions about my SAI score that makes no sense

Just to add some clarity about timing - most students are completing the new form in 30-45 minutes, which is actually about 10-15 minutes faster than the previous version. The main areas where you'll save time:\n\n1. Fewer questions overall (about 36 fewer questions)\n2. Improved IRS Data Retrieval Tool that transfers more information automatically\n3. Simplified household questions\n\nHowever, you will need to:\n- Re-select your schools\n- Re-authorize the IRS data transfer\n- Update any special circumstances\n\nIf you're having technical difficulties, try using a different browser or clearing your cache. Chrome and Edge seem to work best with the new system.

It did NOT take me only 30-45 mins!!! Maybe if everything goes PERFECTLY. But the stupid IRS transfer thing kept timing out and I had to restart it 3 TIMES!! Plus the contribution calculator made absolutely NO SENSE with my parents' situation. This new system is BROKEN!!!

I was confused by this too but just completed mine last weekend. Here's what happened when I clicked 'start new form':\n\n- My personal info was already filled in\n- Had to re-add all schools (annoying)\n- The IRS data transfer was actually easier than before\n- The dependent questions were much simpler\n- Took about 35 minutes total\n\nThe new SAI calculation gave me a lower number than last year's EFC, which I think means more aid? Not sure though. The whole process was different but not necessarily harder. Just... different.

This is super helpful, thank you! I'll set aside an hour this weekend to tackle it. Fingers crossed the SAI works in my favor too!

One more tip - before you start, make sure you have:\n\n1. Your FSA ID login info ready\n2. A list of school codes you want to apply to (up to 20 now instead of 10)\n3. Your tax returns or W-2s nearby in case the IRS data transfer has issues\n4. Parent FSA ID information if you're a dependent student\n\nStart when you have at least an hour of uninterrupted time. The system will timeout if you leave it inactive too long, and that's when most people run into problems.

Great checklist! I didn't realize they increased the school limit to 20 - that's actually a nice improvement. Will definitely make sure I have all this ready before starting.

Just wanted to add that if you're still having trouble with the IRS data transfer timing out, try doing it during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening). I had the same issue as @Liam Fitzgerald where it kept failing during the day, but when I tried again at 6 AM it went through perfectly on the first try. The servers seem less overloaded then. Also, make sure you're using the exact same name and SSN format that's on your tax return - even small discrepancies can cause the transfer to fail.

As someone who just went through this process last month, I can confirm the frustration is real! The lack of communication about removing the renewal button was terrible - I spent way too long looking for it too. However, once I accepted that "start new form" was the only option, it actually wasn't as bad as I feared. A few things that helped me: - The form really is shorter overall, even though you're starting "fresh" - Save your progress frequently - the system does timeout - Have your school codes ready beforehand (you can look them up on the Federal Student Aid website) - If the IRS data transfer fails, don't panic - you can always enter the info manually The whole thing took me about 50 minutes, which honestly was about the same as renewing in previous years once I factored in all the updates I usually had to make anyway. The new SAI calculation is confusing but my financial aid office said they'd help interpret it once I submit. Hang in there - you've got this!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who completed the 2025-2026 FAFSA last week! I had the exact same panic when I didn't see the renew button. After reading through all these helpful responses, I can confirm that clicking "start new form" is totally normal now - it's not a glitch or anything you did wrong. For what it's worth, my experience was pretty similar to what others described: - Basic info was pre-populated (name, SSN, etc.) - Had to re-enter all my school codes (kept a list from last year which helped) - IRS data transfer worked on the second try (first attempt timed out) - Took about 45 minutes total, which honestly wasn't much different from "renewing" in past years The new SAI number I got was lower than my old EFC, so fingers crossed that means more aid eligibility! One tip I'd add - if you're doing this on a weekend, definitely try early morning or late evening like @Emma Olsen suggested. I did mine Sunday morning around 8 AM and had no server issues. You've got this! The change is jarring but the actual process isn't as scary as it seems at first.

Just wanted to add my experience from completing the 2025-2026 FAFSA two weeks ago! I had the exact same confusion about the missing "renew" button and honestly spent way too much time searching for it before finding this thread. For anyone still hesitating - yes, you have to click "start new form" and yes, it feels weird, but it really isn't as bad as it seems. Here's what worked for me: - Did it on a Tuesday evening around 9 PM (off-peak hours definitely help!) - Had all my school codes copied from last year's confirmation email - The IRS data transfer actually worked smoother than in previous years - Total time: about 40 minutes, which included double-checking everything The new form layout is actually more intuitive once you get used to it. And like others mentioned, my new SAI came out lower than last year's EFC even though our income was similar, so hoping that translates to better aid packages. One thing I'd emphasize - don't stress if you make a mistake entering school codes. You can always go back and submit corrections later through your StudentAid.gov account. That knowledge would have saved me 10 minutes of paranoid double-checking every code! The anxiety about starting "from scratch" is way worse than actually doing it. You've got this!

Just completed my 2025-2026 FAFSA this morning and wanted to share my experience for anyone still feeling anxious about this! Like everyone else, I was completely thrown off by the missing "renew" button - honestly thought my account was glitched at first. Here's how it went for me: - Started at 7 AM on a weekday (following the off-peak hours advice from this thread) - Had my school list ready from last year's paperwork - The "start new form" process pre-filled my basic demographic info as expected - IRS data transfer worked perfectly on the first try (timing really does matter!) - Total completion time: 38 minutes The new format is definitely different but not harder once you adjust your expectations. Having to re-enter schools was annoying but honestly didn't add that much time. The financial questions felt more streamlined than before. My new SAI came out about 15% lower than last year's EFC with similar family income, which hopefully means better aid eligibility. Still waiting to see how schools interpret the new calculation but feeling cautiously optimistic! For anyone still procrastinating on this - just rip the bandaid off and do it during off-peak hours with all your info ready. The anticipation anxiety is definitely worse than the actual process. This community's advice was spot on!

As someone who just went through this exact same panic last month, I can totally relate to your confusion! I literally spent 20 minutes clicking around the site looking for that renewal button before accepting that it was really gone. Just completed my 2025-2026 FAFSA using the "start new form" option and wanted to share what actually happened: - All my basic info (name, SSN, address) was already there - Had to re-select all 6 of my schools (definitely the most annoying part) - IRS data transfer worked on the second attempt (did it around 6 PM on a Wednesday) - Some family/household questions were actually simpler than before - Total time: about 42 minutes including double-checking everything The whole "starting over" fear is way scarier than the reality. Yes, you lose the convenience of just updating a few things, but the new form structure is honestly more straightforward. Plus my SAI ended up being about 20% lower than last year's EFC with virtually the same financial situation, so that was a pleasant surprise! My advice: block out an hour, have your school codes ready, and just dive in during off-peak hours. The anticipation stress is definitely worse than actually doing it. You've successfully done this twice before - you've totally got this!