FAFSA deadline for 2025 freshman: Apply now or wait for 2024 tax returns?

The federal FAFSA deadline for the 2025-2026 academic year is June 30, 2026, BUT don't wait that long! Many states and schools have much earlier priority deadlines - some as early as February or March 2025. For the best shot at aid, you should submit as early as possible. As for using 2023 vs 2024 tax info - the 2025-2026 FAFSA uses 2023 tax information (not 2024). So you don't need to wait for your parents to file their 2024 returns. You can and should apply now using the 2023 tax data.

dont wait!!! my brother waited till may last yr and got like half the $ he coulda got cuz our state deadlines are in feb!! check ur state and school deadlines ASAP

Yes, the FAFSA for 2025-2026 uses something called "prior-prior year" tax information, which means 2023 taxes (not 2024). This is by design so families don't have to wait for current year tax filing. As for deadlines, there are three you need to be aware of: 1. Federal deadline: June 30, 2026 2. State deadlines: Vary widely, some as early as February 2025 3. School priority deadlines: Often February-March 2025 Missing state/school deadlines can cost you thousands in potential grants and scholarships. I recommend applying NOW with 2023 tax info. If your family's financial situation changed dramatically since 2023, you can file a special circumstances appeal with your schools after you're admitted.

omg i totally waited till last minute for my first fafsa and it was a DISASTER. got zero state grants cuz i missed the deadline by like 3 days!!!

I work in a college financial aid office, and I can tell you with 100% certainty that you should apply NOW using 2023 tax information. The FAFSA system is designed this way intentionally. Here's why waiting is a bad idea: 1. Many state grants are first-come, first-served until funds are depleted 2. Institutional scholarships often have early priority deadlines 3. Some states (like Tennessee, Illinois, and Kentucky) award aid until funds run out 4. Processing and verification can take weeks - starting early gives you buffer time Definitely use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing your FAFSA - it's faster and reduces the chance of errors that could delay your application. If your family's financial situation has drastically changed since 2023 (job loss, medical expenses, etc.), you should still file now, then contact your school's financial aid office about a "professional judgment" or "special circumstances" review after you're admitted.

I spent WEEKS trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid to ask about this exact question last year. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally I found Claimyr.com which got me connected to an actual person at FSA in about 10 minutes. They have this video explaining how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent confirmed exactly what others are saying here - use 2023 tax info and apply ASAP. Don't wait for 2024 returns. The agent also told me that some state deadlines are as early as February, and schools often have their own priority deadlines that are much earlier than the federal one.

This whole system is RIDICULOUS!!! They make everything unnecessarily complicated. Why use 2023 tax info for 2025-2026?? Makes no sense. And every state having different deadlines? The entire financial aid system needs to be torn down and rebuilt. I've been through this nightmare with 3 kids now.

Thank you everyone for the helpful advice! I just checked and my state's priority deadline is March 1, 2025, and my top choice school has a February 15 priority deadline for financial aid! I'm definitely not waiting - going to get started on this with my parents this weekend. Really appreciate all the help!

can someone explain what SAI is? my cousin said something about SAI replacing EFC but idk what either of those are lol