FAFSA confusion - which year to select for Fall 2025 college freshman?

You need to fill out the 2025-26 FAFSA for a student starting college in Fall 2025. The FAFSA year refers to the academic year (which typically runs fall through spring). So 2025-26 covers Fall 2025 through Spring 2026. This is the correct form for incoming freshmen starting in Fall 2025. Don't worry about the 2024-25 FAFSA at all - that's for students who are attending college during the current academic year (Fall 2024-Spring 2025).

I was in the same boat last year with my son. You definitely need the 2025-26 FAFSA for a Fall 2025 freshman. The application should open on December 1, 2024 (they changed the opening date from October to December last year). One tip: gather all your 2023 tax information now because that's what they'll ask for on the 2025-26 FAFSA. They use tax info from two years prior to the start of the academic year. Also make sure both you and your daughter create FSA IDs well before you plan to submit - that process alone can take a few days to verify.

just fyi they messed up the launch last year BIG TIME so be prepared for delays... they said dec 1 but it was actually end of december and even then it was super glitchy, we couldnt actually submit until mid january

Learned this the hard way - the FAFSA year is based on when the school year ENDS not when it starts!!! So confusing right?? That's why Fall 2025 is the 2025-26 form because the school year ends in 2026. I messed this up with my older kid and we had to scramble to submit the right one before priority deadlines. Also keep in mind that many schools have their own financial aid deadlines that are different from the federal FAFSA deadline. Some colleges have priority deadlines as early as January for the best aid packages.

I tried calling studentaid.gov for THREE DAYS with no luck when I had questions about my son's FAFSA. Finally used Claimyr.com and got through to an actual human in under 15 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration especially since the phone hold times are even worse during application season.

One more thing - make sure to calculate your Student Aid Index (SAI) ahead of time using one of the online calculators. The formula changed substantially with the new FAFSA, and many families were surprised by their results. If your SAI is significantly higher than expected, you'll want time to explore other financial options before your daughter makes her final college decision.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!! My daughter is a sophomore now and we've had nothing but problems with financial aid. First they lost our FAFSA, then they calculated our SAI wrong, then they said we didn't submit a document we DEFINITELY submitted. Three different agents gave us three different answers about what we needed to do. Good luck dealing with this nightmare bureaucracy!!!

My daughter just started this fall and tbh I was so stressed about doing everything right with FAFSA. One tip that really helped us: many colleges have financial aid counselors who can answer specific questions about your application. Once your daughter narrows down her college choices, don't hesitate to contact their financial aid offices directly. They were WAY more helpful than the federal studentaid people.

btw if ur daughter has any chance at scholarships don't just rely on fafsa!!!! make sure she applies for CSS profile too if her schools use it. some of the best aid comes from the schools directly not just federal aid

Just wanted to add that you should also check if your state has its own financial aid deadlines! Some states have much earlier deadlines than the federal FAFSA deadline, and you could miss out on state grants if you're not careful. For example, some states require the FAFSA to be submitted by March 1st for priority consideration. I'd recommend checking your state's higher education website or contacting your daughter's school counselor to find out the specific deadlines for your state.

As someone who just went through this process with my son last year, I can confirm you need the 2025-26 FAFSA for Fall 2025! The confusion is totally understandable - the naming system is weird. Think of it this way: your daughter will be in her freshman year from Fall 2025 through Spring 2026, so that's the "2025-26 academic year." A few additional tips from my experience: Start gathering your 2023 tax documents now since that's what they'll need. Also, create both your and your daughter's FSA IDs as soon as possible - don't wait until you're ready to submit because the verification process takes time. And definitely have a backup plan for when the system inevitably crashes during peak submission times! Good luck - you've got this!

I just want to echo what everyone else has said - you definitely need the 2025-26 FAFSA for a Fall 2025 freshman! I made this same mistake with my oldest and filled out the wrong year initially. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is to make sure you understand the difference between the FAFSA submission deadline (which is pretty generous) versus individual college priority deadlines. Many schools have much earlier priority deadlines for their institutional aid - some as early as November or December - and missing those can cost you thousands in aid even if you submit the FAFSA on time. I'd suggest making a spreadsheet with all the schools your daughter is considering and their specific financial aid deadlines so you don't miss any important dates. Also, don't panic if the FAFSA site is slow or glitchy when it first opens - that's unfortunately normal. Just keep trying and submit as early as you reasonably can. You've got plenty of time to prepare since it won't even open until December 1st!

Hi Effie! I'm new to this whole FAFSA process too and this thread has been incredibly helpful. Just wanted to add one more resource that might be useful - the Federal Student Aid website has a FAFSA completion guide that walks you through each section step by step. It's at https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/topic/completing-fafsa. I found it really helpful for understanding what documents I'd need and how to answer some of the trickier questions. Also, if your daughter is planning to apply to any schools that require the CSS Profile (which several people mentioned), I'd recommend checking which schools on her list require it sooner rather than later. The CSS Profile has its own set of required documents and can take longer to complete than the FAFSA, so it's good to know early if you'll need to tackle both forms. Hang in there - it seems overwhelming at first but everyone here has shown it's definitely manageable with the right preparation!

I'm also navigating this for the first time with my son who's a high school senior! This thread has been incredibly reassuring - it's so helpful to see that other parents are dealing with the same confusion. One thing I wanted to add that might be useful: I spoke with our high school's college counselor last week and she mentioned that many schools are hosting virtual financial aid information sessions this fall. These sessions often cover FAFSA basics, school-specific deadlines, and sometimes even have live Q&A with financial aid officers. It might be worth checking if any of the colleges your daughter is interested in are offering these sessions. I found a few for our target schools and signed up - figured it can't hurt to get as much information as possible! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and tips - this community is such a valuable resource for families going through this process.