FAFSA 2025-2026 using 2023 tax returns? When to report income changes?

Your friend is correct - the 2025-2026 FAFSA uses 2023 tax information (also called the 'prior-prior year'). This is standard policy now. The good news is that you can request a Professional Judgment review (sometimes called a Special Circumstances review) from your school's financial aid office to account for your family's change in income. You'll need to document the job loss and income reduction with things like termination letters, unemployment benefits statements, and current pay stubs. Each school handles these differently, but most have a specific form for reporting income changes.

yep its 2023 tax stuff for 2025-26... stupid system tbh

To add to what others have said - yes, 2025-2026 FAFSA uses 2023 tax info. The formal name for reporting changes is a "Professional Judgment" or "Special Circumstances Appeal." You'll need to: 1. Complete the FAFSA normally with your 2023 tax info 2. Contact EACH school's financial aid office separately (important - you must do this for each school) 3. Ask about their process for reporting income changes 4. Submit their required documentation (usually includes formal statements, tax documents, proof of job loss, current income verification) Don't wait to do this! Some schools prioritize early appeals and may have limited funds for adjustments. Also, don't skip filing the FAFSA thinking your situation won't qualify for aid - that's the #1 mistake students make when circumstances change.

my cousin went thru this last year. he said the whole procees was a nightmare cuz he kept calling the federal student aid number and couldnt get thru to a real person for WEEKS. just kept getting disconnected. total waste of time!

Wait I'm confused...I thought the FAFSA was just switching to using the SAI instead of EFC this year? Are they also changing which tax year they use???

I work in a financial aid office. The success rate for Professional Judgment reviews varies by school, but I can tell you we approve about 65% of the appeals we receive. The key is DOCUMENTATION. Don't just tell us your situation changed - prove it with official paperwork. The appeals that get denied are usually ones with inadequate documentation or where the income change isn't significant enough to impact the SAI calculation. Also, DO NOT call the Federal Student Aid hotline for this issue. They cannot process PJ reviews - only your individual schools can do that. FSA only handles general FAFSA questions and technical problems.

when I went thru this my school wanted: termination letter, unemployment benefit statements, last pay stub from old job, current pay stubs from new job, and copies of bills wasn't enough - they wanted a monthly budget showing income vs expenses. each school is different tho.

@OP - Yes, a termination letter is essential documentation. For bills, a budget summary is more useful than individual bills. Most schools want to see: 1. Official documentation of job loss (termination letter) 2. Last pay stub from previous employment 3. Unemployment benefit statements if applicable 4. Current pay stubs showing reduced income 5. A monthly budget showing income vs. expenses 6. Bank statements showing reduced assets (optional but helpful) Start gathering these now. And don't be discouraged by negative stories - most legitimate cases with good documentation do receive adjustments. It's designed to help families in exactly your situation.