FAFSA deadline missed for summer dual enrollment - any way to apply retroactively?

Dual enrollment usually doesn't qualify for federal financial aid through FAFSA. The high school student isn't considered a "regular student" enrolled in a degree program yet. Your daughter's summer classes probably fall under the same category. Check with the college directly though - some have special scholarship funds for dual enrollment that don't require FAFSA.

For summer 2025 classes, you should've completed the 2024-2025 FAFSA which opened last December. But for the fall 2025 dual enrollment, that would be covered by the 2025-2026 FAFSA, which opens THIS December 2024. So you haven't missed that deadline yet!

There are a few things to understand here: 1. Most dual enrollment programs don't qualify for federal aid through FAFSA because your daughter isn't yet a regularly admitted college student pursuing a degree. 2. For the summer 2025 classes, if they were eligible (which is unlikely), they'd fall under the 2024-2025 FAFSA. While the priority deadline has passed, you can technically still submit a 2024-2025 FAFSA until June 30, 2025. 3. For fall 2025 dual enrollment, that would be part of the 2025-2026 aid year, which isn't open for applications yet. Your best bet is to contact both the college's financial aid office AND your daughter's high school counselor. Many states and colleges have special funding for dual enrollment that doesn't require FAFSA.

You still have options! While it's true dual enrollment usually doesn't qualify for standard federal aid, here's what you should do: 1. Contact the college financial aid office immediately. Many colleges have institutional scholarships specifically for dual enrollment students. 2. If your summer 2025 program does qualify for aid, you can still complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA until June 30, 2025. You haven't missed this deadline entirely! 3. For fall 2025, you'll need the 2025-2026 FAFSA, which opens in December 2024. 4. Check with your state education department - many states have special funding programs for dual enrollment that don't use FAFSA. 5. Ask about payment plans at the college to spread costs over multiple months.

I went thru this last yr with my son. Dual enrollment was covered by our school district! We didnt need FAFSA at all. Call your daughters high school guidance counselor - thats who handled everything for us. Didnt cost us a penny except books.

@OP summer classes werent covered for us, only fall/spring. But the college gave us a discount for summer because he was a dual enrollment student. Some colleges call it "early college" or something else.

Have you tried calling Federal Student Aid directly? I spent DAYS trying to get through to them about a similar issue last year - the website is no help and the wait times are insane. I finally found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual person at FSA in under 10 minutes when I'd been trying for days. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. Totally worth it to get answers straight from FSA about your specific situation.

I'm a financial aid counselor at a community college. If your daughter is taking classes through our dual enrollment program, FAFSA isn't used. Most college dual enrollment programs are funded through state programs or district partnerships, not federal aid. However, each state and college handles this differently, so definitely call both the college financial aid office AND the high school counselor. For summer classes, those often have different funding sources than regular academic year dual enrollment. Many colleges offer reduced tuition rates for summer dual enrollment even if they don't have funding to cover it completely.

wait isnt FAFSA changing completely this year anyway? i heard the whole system is different now with SAI replacing EFC. maybe thats why deadlines are different too?

After reading through all the responses, I think your best next steps are: 1. Call your daughter's high school counselor first thing tomorrow. 2. Then call the college financial aid office. 3. Ask specifically about dual enrollment funding programs that don't require FAFSA. 4. For the summer classes, ask about special summer rates for high school students. 5. Mark your calendar for December to complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA (even if it might not be required for dual enrollment, it will be essential if she continues at college after high school graduation). Good luck! You haven't failed at all - you're asking the right questions at the right time.

Don't stress too much about this! As a parent who went through dual enrollment with my oldest, I can tell you that most of the funding for these programs comes from sources other than FAFSA. In our state, the community college district had partnerships with local high schools that covered tuition costs completely. One thing I'd add to the great advice already given - when you call the college, ask specifically about their "concurrent enrollment" or "early college" programs. Sometimes they use different terminology, and you want to make sure you're talking to the right department. Also, if your daughter qualifies for free or reduced lunch at school, mention that - some colleges have additional need-based scholarships specifically for dual enrollment students. You're being a great advocate for your daughter by asking these questions now rather than assuming you've missed everything!

As someone who works in higher education administration, I want to echo what others have said - you're definitely not out of luck! Dual enrollment funding typically comes from state appropriations or district partnerships rather than federal financial aid. Here's what I'd recommend doing immediately: 1. Contact your daughter's high school guidance office - they should have all the details about how dual enrollment is funded in your district 2. Ask the college about their "high school partnership" or "dual credit" programs specifically 3. Inquire about summer session discounts for high school students Many colleges offer significant tuition reductions for dual enrollment students even when there isn't full funding available. Some charge as little as $50-100 per credit hour compared to regular tuition rates. Also, don't forget that even if you pay out of pocket for summer classes, those credits could save thousands later when she's in college full-time. You're still being financially smart by getting her started early!

I just wanted to add that you might also want to check if your state has a dual enrollment scholarship program. I'm in Texas and we have the Texas Dual Credit Scholarship that covers tuition and fees for eligible students - completely separate from FAFSA. Many states have similar programs that are income-based or merit-based. Your state's department of education website should have information about these opportunities. Also, some employers offer education benefits that can be used for dependents' dual enrollment courses - worth checking if you or your spouse have any tuition assistance benefits through work!