FAFSA 2025-2026: Which tax return year (2023 or 2024) needed for Class of 2025 student?

The 2025-2026 FAFSA will use your 2023 tax information. This is what's called 'prior-prior year' - they go back two years for tax data. So for students starting in Fall 2025, they'll be filing the 2025-2026 FAFSA using 2023 tax returns. It's confusing at first, but the system is designed this way so families can complete the FAFSA earlier using already-filed tax returns rather than waiting for the current year's taxes to be filed.

they use the prior prior year so its 2023 taxes for 2025 entrance. my son is starting this fall and we used 2022 taxes for his fafsa

But wait, what if your financial situation changes dramatically between 2023 and when your kid starts college in 2025? My husband lost his job and our income dropped by like 40% the year after we filed FAFSA for our oldest. We had to do something called a 'special circumstances' form with each school. HUGE HEADACHE but worth it because some schools adjusted our aid!!

my daughter is also class of 2025!!! so excited but also terrified about paying for everything lol. the tax thing confused me too but yeah its 2023 taxes for the 2025-2026 fafsa

I tried calling Federal Student Aid to confirm this EXACT question last week because my financial advisor told me something different (he was wrong). Spent 2 hours on hold before getting disconnected. TWICE. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent in about 8 minutes. They have this video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Anyway, the agent confirmed it's definitely 2023 taxes for the 2025-26 FAFSA. Prior-prior year is the rule.

Just be careful with the prior-prior year system because it doesn't always reflect your current financial reality. We had a MUCH better year in 2023 than we're having now in 2024 (medical bills, ugh), so our FAFSA will show higher income than we're actually working with for paying tuition. Remember you can always appeal your financial aid package directly with schools if your circumstances have changed significantly from what your 2023 tax returns show. Each school handles this differently, so you'll need to contact each financial aid office individually. Some schools are more generous with adjustments than others.

One other thing to be aware of: The FAFSA simplification means the form for 2025-2026 will be very different than previous years. It now calculates a Student Aid Index (SAI) rather than the old Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The 2023 tax return requirement hasn't changed, but how they use that information to calculate aid eligibility has. Make sure you're looking at current resources when you research this topic, as advice from even 2-3 years ago might be outdated due to these significant changes.

I'm still mad about this whole prior-prior year system!!! Our 2023 income was nearly DOUBLE our normal income because we sold some property that year. Now my twins who start college in 2025 will look like they come from a much wealthier family than we actually are. The whole system is BROKEN!!! 😡😡😡

As someone who just went through this process with my oldest child, I can confirm it's definitely 2023 tax returns for the 2025-2026 FAFSA. The prior-prior year system was confusing to me at first too, but it actually makes sense once you understand the reasoning - they want families to be able to complete the FAFSA as early as possible using tax information that's already been filed and processed. One tip I wish I'd known earlier: start gathering your 2023 tax documents now, even though the FAFSA doesn't open until December. Having everything organized ahead of time makes the process so much smoother. Also, if you used tax prep software, make sure you can still access your 2023 return when you need it - I had to dig through old emails to find my login info! The key thing to remember is that even though you're using 2023 tax info, colleges understand this might not reflect your current situation, which is why the appeals process exists if your circumstances have changed significantly.

This thread has been so helpful! I'm also a parent of a Class of 2025 student and was getting stressed about the tax year confusion. It's good to know that 2023 taxes are what we'll need and that there are options if our financial situation has changed since then. One question for those who've been through this - when exactly should we plan to complete the FAFSA? I know it opens in December 2024, but is there an advantage to filing it right away, or is it better to wait and make sure everything is accurate? My daughter is still finalizing her college list and I'm not sure if we need to have that locked down before we can submit the FAFSA.

This discussion has been incredibly helpful! I'm in the exact same situation with my daughter starting college Fall 2025. The 2023 tax return requirement makes so much more sense now - I was panicking thinking I'd need to file 2024 taxes super early somehow. One follow-up question: since we'll be using 2023 tax info, should I be concerned about any changes to our assets between 2023 and when we file the FAFSA in December 2024? I know they ask about bank account balances and investments as of the day you submit the FAFSA, not as of your 2023 tax filing. Just want to make sure I understand what's current vs. what's from 2023.

This whole thread has been a lifesaver! I'm also navigating this with my son who's Class of 2025. Just to add one more helpful tip I learned from our school counselor - if you're self-employed or have more complex tax situations, it's worth double-checking that your 2023 tax return is completely accurate before using it for the FAFSA. Any errors or amendments to your 2023 return could create complications down the line when schools verify your information. Also, for anyone worried about the timing, remember that colleges understand the prior-prior year system means your financial situation might have changed. Every financial aid officer I've spoken to has mentioned they're used to working with families on adjustments when circumstances are significantly different from what the 2023 taxes show. The key is being proactive about communicating with them if you need help!

This has been such an informative thread! As another parent with a Class of 2025 student, I was also confused about the tax year requirements. Reading through everyone's experiences has really clarified things for me. One thing I'd like to add is that it's worth checking if your state has its own financial aid application with different deadlines. Some states have their own grant programs that require separate applications, and the deadlines can be earlier than federal aid deadlines. I almost missed our state's deadline because I was so focused on the federal FAFSA timeline. Also, for parents who are divorced or separated, make sure you understand which parent needs to provide tax information for the FAFSA. The rules around this can be complex, especially if custody arrangements or living situations have changed since 2023. It's worth clarifying this early to avoid delays when the application opens. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips - this community has been incredibly helpful for navigating this process!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm also dealing with this for my daughter who's starting college in Fall 2025. I was so confused about the tax year requirements and kept going in circles trying to figure it out. It's such a relief to know it's definitely the 2023 tax returns we'll need. One thing I'm wondering about - for those who have been through this process, how long does it typically take to complete the FAFSA once you have all your documents ready? I'm trying to plan out my timeline for when it opens in December. Should I expect to spend a few hours on it, or is it something I can knock out in 30 minutes if I'm well-prepared? Also, I noticed several people mentioned the IRS Data Retrieval Tool - is this something that automatically pulls your tax information, or do you still need to have your tax documents handy as backup? Just trying to understand the best way to prepare so I can file as early as possible in December.