FAFSA confusion: Freshman with Dual Enrollment credits - which college grade level to select?

Select the grade level she'll be at the BEGINNING of the 2025-2026 academic year. So if she'll be starting her second year in Fall 2025, you should select 'Sophomore/Second Year.' The FAFSA looks at what grade level she'll be when the aid year starts, not what she is now. Dual enrollment credits that cause her to advance more quickly don't change this rule. You're selecting what she'll be when the aid year begins, not what she is currently.

my son was in the exact same situation!!! we put freshman on his first FAFSA even though he had enough credits to be a sophmore by spring. his financial aid office told us to go by years in college not credits earned. it's super confusing

The correct answer depends on when you're submitting the FAFSA and which academic year it's for. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, you should select her grade level as of the beginning of that academic year (Fall 2025). If she started as a freshman in Fall 2024 and will be classified as a sophomore in Spring 2025, then for the 2025-2026 FAFSA, you would select 'Sophomore/Second Year' since that's what she'll be in Fall 2025 when that aid year begins. Don't confuse her current status with what she'll be when the new aid year starts. Grade level on FAFSA refers to the academic year you're requesting aid for, not the current moment when you're filling out the form.

the financial aid website says grade level is based on the school's definition not just credit hours so maybe call her school's financial aid office to ask? different schools might count DE credits differently for FAFSA stuff

I've been trying to call the Federal Student Aid helpline with a similar question about my son's grade level, but it's been impossible to get through. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to a FAFSA agent in about 10 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. The agent confirmed that for FAFSA purposes, you list the grade level your student will be at the BEGINNING of the aid year you're applying for. So for 2025-2026, what will she be in Fall 2025? That's your answer.

As a financial aid counselor at a community college, I can tell you that the grade level question on the FAFSA is specifically asking what grade level your student will be at the BEGINNING of the award year. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, you need to indicate what she will be in Fall 2025. Since she started as a freshman in Fall 2024, and is advancing to sophomore status in Spring 2025 due to her dual enrollment credits, she would be a sophomore/second year student at the beginning of the 2025-2026 award year (Fall 2025). This is different from her class standing for registration purposes. FAFSA is concerned with how many years she's been in college, but also takes into account accelerated progress due to transferred credits like DE.

I think everyone is over complicating this. Just put whatever year they will be in when Fall 2025 starts. Simple as that.

my daughters school said to go by the number of credit hours completed. If she has 30+ credits completed by the beginning of fall 2025 then shes a sophomore on the FAFSA. different schools count it differently tho!!!!

I went through this exact situation with my daughter last year! She had 32 dual enrollment credits and was classified as a sophomore for spring registration, just like your daughter. I called the financial aid office at her school and they told me to select "Sophomore/Second Year" on the FAFSA since that would be her official classification at the beginning of the 2025-2026 academic year (Fall 2025). The key thing they emphasized is that FAFSA goes by what your official class standing will be when the aid year begins, not what you are currently. Her aid package wasn't affected negatively at all - she still got the same grants and loans she would have qualified for. Don't stress too much about it, but definitely confirm with your daughter's financial aid office since each school might have slightly different policies about how they classify students with transfer credits.

I'm a newcomer here but dealing with a similar situation! My son also has dual enrollment credits that are advancing his class standing. From reading all these responses, it seems like the consensus is clear - use the grade level your daughter will be at the START of the 2025-2026 academic year (Fall 2025). Since she'll be classified as a sophomore by then, that's what you should select on the FAFSA. I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here because this was confusing me too! It's reassuring to see that others have gone through this and their aid wasn't negatively impacted. Definitely worth calling the financial aid office to double-check, but it sounds like you're on the right track with selecting sophomore.

As someone who works in higher education administration, I can confirm what others have said - the FAFSA grade level should reflect your daughter's official classification at the beginning of the 2025-2026 academic year (Fall 2025). Since she'll be classified as a sophomore due to her dual enrollment credits, select "Sophomore/Second Year." The FAFSA isn't asking about her current status in the middle of the academic year, but rather what she'll be when the new aid year starts. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned much - make sure to keep documentation of her dual enrollment transcripts and how the credits transferred, as sometimes financial aid offices need to verify unusual credit situations. But don't worry - students with DE credits advancing their class standing is very common now, and it typically doesn't hurt their aid eligibility!

New to this community but dealing with the exact same FAFSA confusion! My daughter is also a freshman with tons of dual enrollment credits (34 credits) that bumped her to sophomore status for spring registration. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - it's clear that I should select "Sophomore/Second Year" since that's what she'll be classified as when the 2025-2026 aid year begins in Fall 2025. I was so worried about making the wrong choice and accidentally messing up her financial aid, but seeing that this situation is actually pretty common and doesn't negatively impact aid eligibility is such a relief! Planning to call her school's financial aid office this week to confirm, but I feel much more confident now. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is amazing for getting real answers to these confusing FAFSA questions!

Hi everyone! I'm new to this community but wanted to share my experience since I went through this exact same situation with my son last year. He had 26 dual enrollment credits that pushed him to sophomore status mid-year, just like your daughter. I was so confused about the FAFSA grade level question too! After reading all the great advice here, I can confirm what everyone is saying is correct - you should select "Sophomore/Second Year" since that's what she'll be classified as at the beginning of Fall 2025 when the new aid year starts. I called our school's financial aid office multiple times to make sure, and they were very clear that FAFSA wants to know her official classification for the upcoming academic year, not her current status. His financial aid wasn't negatively affected at all - he actually qualified for some sophomore-level scholarships he wouldn't have gotten otherwise! Don't stress too much about it, but definitely confirm with your daughter's school since they're the ones who ultimately determine her official classification. This community has been so helpful for navigating these confusing FAFSA questions!

Hi! I'm new to this community and found this thread while searching for answers to the same exact question. My daughter is also a freshman with dual enrollment credits (31 credits) that will make her a sophomore for spring registration. After reading all these helpful responses, I'm much clearer on what to do! It sounds like the consensus is definitely to select "Sophomore/Second Year" on the 2025-2026 FAFSA since that's what she'll be classified as when the aid year begins in Fall 2025. I was really worried about this too - the FAFSA instructions don't make it clear how to handle situations where DE credits advance your grade level mid-year. It's so reassuring to see that this is actually a common situation now and that it doesn't hurt aid eligibility. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences! I'm planning to call our school's financial aid office just to double-check, but I feel so much more confident about this decision now.

Hi there! I'm new to this community but came across your post while dealing with a very similar situation. My daughter is also a freshman with dual enrollment credits (29 credits) that have advanced her to sophomore standing for spring semester. After reading through all the excellent responses here, it's clear that you should select "Sophomore/Second Year" on the 2025-2026 FAFSA since that will be her official classification at the beginning of Fall 2025 when the new aid year starts. I was initially confused about this too because the FAFSA instructions don't clearly address how to handle DE credits that bump you up mid-year, but everyone here has provided such consistent and helpful advice! It's also really reassuring to see from other parents' experiences that advancing due to dual enrollment credits doesn't negatively impact aid eligibility - and might even open up additional scholarship opportunities. I'm planning to call our school's financial aid office this week to confirm as well, but I feel much more confident about this decision now. Thanks for asking this question because it's helped so many of us in similar situations!

Hi! I'm new to this community and just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! My son is in almost the exact same situation - he's a freshman with 27 dual enrollment credits that will bump him to sophomore status for spring registration. I was completely stressed about the FAFSA grade level question and honestly had no idea how to handle it. Reading through everyone's responses has been such a relief - the consensus is so clear that I should select "Sophomore/Second Year" since that's what he'll be classified as when the 2025-2026 aid year begins in Fall 2025. It's amazing to see how common this dual enrollment situation is becoming and how supportive everyone is in sharing their experiences. I was worried I was dealing with some unique problem that would complicate his financial aid, but it's clear this is pretty standard now. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and advice - I'm definitely calling our financial aid office this week to confirm, but I feel so much more confident about this decision now!