FAFSA filing timeline for 2025 Fall semester - when to start?
My daughter is a junior in high school right now and won't be starting college until Fall 2025. I'm trying to plan ahead and get organized with all the financial aid stuff, but I'm confused about when we actually need to submit the FAFSA application. Is it too early to start now? Do we wait until she's a senior? I've heard they changed all the FAFSA deadlines recently and I don't want to miss anything important. Also, does anybody know if filling it out earlier gives you a better chance at getting more aid? Thanks in advance!
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Ravi Gupta
The 2025-2026 FAFSA form (which is what your daughter will need for her freshman year) should become available on October 1, 2024. You'll want to fill it out as soon as possible after that date, since some aid is first-come, first-served. You'll be using your 2023 tax information on the form, so make sure you have those documents ready. And yes, they completely redesigned the FAFSA recently with the new SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation replacing the old EFC. The new form is supposed to be simpler but there have been lots of technical issues. Hopefully they'll have everything running smoothly by the time you need to apply!
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StarStrider
•Thank you! That's really helpful. So we can't do anything until October 2024? I was worried we should have already started something. And we'll use our 2023 tax info even though it'll be 2024 when we fill it out? That seems odd but I guess it gives everyone time to have their taxes done.
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Freya Pedersen
Firsrt thing you need to know is that FASFA is always a year ahead!! we filled out my son's this past Oct for NEXT fall (2024). So yea like the other person said Oct 2024 is when u do it for 2025. I think each school has there own deadline but the earlier the better cause some $$ runs out!!!
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Omar Hassan
•This is mostly correct, but I want to clarify that the FAFSA itself doesn't have a strict deadline like people sometimes think. The federal deadline for the 2024-2025 FAFSA is June 30, 2025, but that's much later than you should actually submit it. State aid deadlines vary widely (some as early as February after the form opens), and individual colleges often have priority deadlines in November-March. The real rule is "as soon as possible after October 1st" since some aid is limited.
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Chloe Anderson
My daughter just started college this year and the FAFSA was a COMPLETE NIGHTMARE!!! They totally changed the system and nothing worked right. It took us 3 MONTHS to finally get through the process!!! The website kept crashing and when I called the helpline I was on hold for HOURS only to get disconnected!!! Hopefully they fix it by the time you need to apply but don't count on it. Start EARLY and DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!!!
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Diego Vargas
•I had the exact same experience trying to reach them about verification issues! After spending hours on hold and getting disconnected multiple times, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. Saved me so much time and frustration. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Definitely worth it when you're dealing with FAFSA headaches!
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CosmicCruiser
•same here the new FAFSA is terrible it kept saying my daughters name didnt match her social even tho we triple checked everything
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Omar Hassan
Since your daughter won't start until Fall 2025, here's a practical timeline to help you prepare: 1. Summer 2024: Create FSA IDs for both you and your daughter 2. Gather your 2023 tax returns and W-2s (yes, they use tax info from 2 years prior) 3. October 1, 2024: Complete the FAFSA as soon as the 2025-2026 form opens 4. November 2024: Check if any of her potential colleges require the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA (many private colleges do) 5. December 2024-February 2025: Watch for verification requests - about 20% of applications get selected for this 6. March-April 2025: Financial aid award letters arrive One tip: Make sure your daughter lists ALL schools she's applying to on the FAFSA, even if she hasn't decided yet. You can list up to 10 schools, and adding more is possible later.
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StarStrider
•This timeline is PERFECT - exactly what I needed. I'm saving this comment for reference. I didn't know about the CSS Profile at all! Is that something completely separate from FAFSA? And does it cost money to submit?
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Omar Hassan
•Yes, the CSS Profile is completely separate from FAFSA. It's administered by the College Board (same folks who do the SAT) and it does have a fee - currently $25 for the first school and $16 for each additional school. However, fee waivers are available for eligible families. Unlike FAFSA, CSS Profile asks for more detailed financial information, including home equity, retirement accounts, and more. It's typically required by private colleges and universities that offer their own institutional aid. Not all schools require it, so you'll need to check the requirements for each college your daughter applies to.
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Anastasia Fedorov
just fyi the new fafsa doesnt use efc anymore its called SAI (student aid index) and its calculated differently so dont be confused when u see that instead.
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Ravi Gupta
•Good point! The change from EFC (Expected Family Contribution) to SAI (Student Aid Index) is more than just a name change. The new formula handles multiple-student households differently and treats some types of income differently. In general, more students should qualify for need-based aid under the new system, especially Pell Grants.
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Sean Doyle
when my son was applying we stupidly waited till January to do the FAFSA and missed out on so much aid... the state grants were already gone!!! dont make our mistake!!!
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StarStrider
•I'm so sorry that happened to you! Thanks for the warning - we'll definitely apply right away in October 2024.
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Omar Hassan
One other thing to prepare for: Both you and your daughter will need to create FSA IDs before you can complete the FAFSA. This requires separate email addresses and phone numbers for each of you. You could set these up a few months before October 2024 to make sure everything's ready when the form opens. Also, when October comes, try to submit during off-peak hours if possible. Historically, the FAFSA site gets extremely congested in the first few days after opening, especially during evening hours. Early morning or late night submissions often have fewer technical issues.
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CosmicCruiser
•the fsa id stuff is soooo confusing my daughter kept getting locked out of her account and we had to call and wait for like 2 hours to get it fixed last year
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Freya Pedersen
Hey I just remembered something important!! Make sure your daughter applies for scholarships TOO not just FAFSA!! My son got a $5,000 scholarship just for writing a 500-word essay about why he wants to be an engineer!! Lots of free $$$ out there if you look for it!!
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StarStrider
•Great suggestion! We'll definitely look into scholarship opportunities too. I've heard there are tons of smaller ones that not many people apply for, so the odds are better. Congrats to your son on that amazing scholarship!
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Avery Saint
One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - make sure to keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit! When my older kid went through this process, we had to resubmit documents multiple times because things got "lost" in the system. I created a dedicated folder (both digital and physical) with copies of all tax documents, W-2s, bank statements, and screenshots of every FAFSA submission confirmation. Also, if your daughter ends up getting selected for verification (which is pretty common), having everything organized will save you weeks of scrambling to find documents later. Trust me on this one!
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