FAFSA deadline question - when exactly do I need to submit for 2025-2026?

The federal FAFSA deadline for the 2025-2026 academic year is June 30, 2026. HOWEVER, that's just the federal deadline! States and individual colleges have their own (much earlier) deadlines that you need to pay attention to. Many state deadlines are in February or March 2025, sometimes even earlier. And some financial aid is first-come, first-served, so submitting early can definitely help you get more money.

The FAFSA for 2025-2026 opens on December 1, 2024. You should definitely try to complete it as soon as possible after that date, especially if you're in one of the states with early priority deadlines like California, Illinois, or Tennessee. To maximize your aid chances: 1. Submit as close to December 1 as possible 2. Check your specific state deadline at studentaid.gov 3. Research priority deadlines for each college you're applying to 4. Double-check that your tax information is correctly reported Some schools have priority deadlines as early as January for maximum institutional aid consideration.

I had the same question when I was applying! It's confusing because there are multiple deadlines: - Federal deadline: June 30, 2026 (but this is WAY too late for most purposes) - State deadlines: Vary by state (many are "as soon as possible after December 1") - School deadlines: Each college sets their own priority deadline - CSS Profile deadlines: Some private schools require this additional form with different deadlines For nursing school specifically, there might be additional scholarship opportunities with separate deadlines. I'd recommend checking with your specific nursing programs about their financial aid timeline.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU MISS DEADLINES!! They don't publicize the real deadlines enough and then suddenly all the money is gone! I missed my state's priority deadline by TWO DAYS last year and lost out on the state grant. And when I called to explain my situation, I was on hold for literally 3 hours before getting disconnected! FAFSA's phone system is THE WORST.

To answer your question about the CSS Profile - yes, many private colleges require it in addition to the FAFSA. It's more detailed than the FAFSA and helps schools determine institutional aid. The CSS Profile also opens on December 1, 2024 for the 2025-2026 academic year. Unlike the FAFSA, the CSS Profile isn't free - it costs $25 for the first school and $16 for each additional school. Fee waivers are available for eligible students. Not all schools require it, so check each nursing program's financial aid website to see if they need the CSS Profile or just the FAFSA.

i almost got screwed last yr bc i didnt know abt the "priority deadline" vs "final deadline" thing. like my school's website said FAFSA deadline was march 15 but then i found out theres a "priority" deadline of feb 1 that they didnt advertise as much and thats when they give out the good scholarships!!! so make sure u look for BOTH types of deadlines!

Another important thing to know - even though the federal deadline is June 30, 2026, that's for the entire 2025-2026 academic year. That means if you're starting in Fall 2025, you need to submit MUCH earlier than that June 2026 date. I think that deadline confuses a lot of people. Also, the FAFSA form itself should take about 30-45 minutes to complete if you have all your documents ready. You'll need: 1. Your SSN 2. Your driver's license number (if you have one) 3. Your 2023 tax records (for 2025-2026 FAFSA) 4. Records of untaxed income 5. Information about your assets 6. List of schools you're applying to If you're a dependent student (most undergrads are), you'll need your parents' information too.

Thank you all for this helpful information! I'm going to mark December 1 on my calendar and aim to submit that first week. I'll also make a spreadsheet of all my potential nursing schools with their specific FAFSA and CSS Profile deadlines. One last question - if my parents are divorced, whose information do I need to include on the FAFSA?