FAFSA for 2025-2026 requires 2023 tax info, not 2024 - confused about timeline

This is actually correct and there's a good reason for it. FAFSA uses what's called "prior-prior year" tax information. For the 2025-2026 school year, they will indeed use your 2023 tax information (not 2024). The reason is simple: when FAFSA opens in December 2024, most people won't have completed their 2024 taxes yet (those aren't due until April 2025). By using the prior-prior year (2023), they're using tax information that's already finalized, filed, and can be directly imported from the IRS using the Data Retrieval Tool. This system ensures everyone has their tax information ready when applying and creates a standardized timeframe for all applicants.

ya they always use older tax stuff, been that way forever. my older kid went thru this last yr

As others have confirmed, the 2025-2026 FAFSA will use 2023 tax information. However, I want to address your concern about your financial situation changing. If you've experienced significant changes like job loss, major medical expenses, or other financial hardships since 2023, you can request a "Professional Judgment" review (sometimes called a "Special Circumstances" review). This process allows the financial aid office at each school to review your updated information and potentially adjust your aid. You'll need to: 1. Complete the regular FAFSA using 2023 tax info 2. Contact each school's financial aid office directly 3. Ask about their process for special circumstances reviews 4. Provide documentation of the changes (layoff notice, unemployment benefits, etc.) Each school handles these differently, so you'll need to work with them individually.

omg this system is so broken!! when my son applied last year they used our 2022 taxes which showed a huge bonus i got that was ONE TIME. we tried explaining this to the financial aid office and they basically told us too bad, thats the system. now were paying wayyy more than we should be. the whole thing is designed to give us less aid.

A little tip from when my kids went through this - start gathering your documents now. You'll need 2023 tax returns, W-2s, records of untaxed income, current bank statements, investment records, etc. The FAFSA seems to get more complicated every year, and being prepared really helps reduce the stress. Also keep records of any major financial changes since 2023, as you might need those for special circumstances reviews.

I spent HOURS trying to call the Federal Student Aid helpline last year when we had issues with our FAFSA. Was getting disconnected or waiting forever. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual FSA agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ If you run into any trouble with the application or have questions about special circumstances, it might be worth using instead of waiting on hold forever. The agent I spoke with was really helpful in explaining how the prior-prior year system works and what documentation we needed for our financial changes.

Just to give you some timeline guidance: - FAFSA for 2025-2026 should open in December 2024 - You'll use 2023 tax information - The Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation (which replaced EFC) will determine aid eligibility - Financial aid award letters typically arrive March-April 2025 - That's when you can request Professional Judgment reviews if needed Also, make sure your student lists all potential colleges on the FAFSA - they can list up to 20 schools. The data automatically goes to those schools when you submit.

THE ENTIRE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO SCREW OVER THE MIDDLE CLASS!!!!! My family makes just enough to not qualify for need-based aid but not enough to actually afford college without going into MASSIVE DEBT. And using tax info from TWO YEARS AGO just makes it worse. The whole system needs to be completely overhauled.

Just went thru this whole process with my twins. Here's what nobody tells you: after you submit the FAFSA using 2023 taxes, start immediately preparing for professional judgment reviews. Take screenshots of EVERYTHING. Document every call, every email. The financial aid offices are overworked and things fall through cracks. Be polite but persistent. Also, the new FAFSA is supposedly "simplified" but still had tons of technical glitches last year. Submit as early as possible in case you run into problems.

This whole thread has been incredibly helpful - thank you everyone! As someone new to this process, I had no idea about the prior-prior year system or the Professional Judgment option. It's reassuring to know there are ways to address major financial changes even if the initial FAFSA uses older tax info. One question I haven't seen addressed: should we be doing anything NOW to prepare for potential Professional Judgment reviews? Like keeping specific types of documentation or records of our financial changes? My spouse's hours were cut significantly in late 2023 and haven't recovered, so our 2024 income will be much lower than what shows on our 2023 taxes.

Welcome to the FAFSA world! This thread is a goldmine of information. I just went through this process with my oldest last year, and I wish I had found advice like this earlier. One thing I'd add that helped us tremendously: create a dedicated email folder for ALL college-related correspondence from day one. Between FAFSA submissions, school financial aid offices, scholarship applications, and Professional Judgment documentation, you'll be drowning in emails. Having everything organized made it so much easier to reference previous conversations and track what documentation we'd already sent to which schools. Also, don't be intimidated by the Professional Judgment process - yes, it requires paperwork, but the financial aid officers genuinely want to help when there are legitimate changes in your circumstances. The key is being thorough with your documentation and following up appropriately. @Daniel Washington - your proactive approach to understanding this process early will serve you well. Most families scramble to figure this out at the last minute!

As someone who just discovered this community while researching FAFSA requirements, I'm so grateful for all the detailed information shared here! I'm in a similar situation to many of you - trying to navigate this process for the first time and feeling overwhelmed by the complexity. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly eye-opening. I had no idea about the prior-prior year tax requirement or that there were options like Professional Judgment reviews for changed circumstances. My family's financial situation has also shifted significantly since 2023 due to a job change, so knowing there's a pathway to address this is such a relief. One thing that strikes me from all these responses is how much the experience can vary between different schools. It sounds like it's really important to research each college's specific financial aid policies and not assume they'll all handle things the same way. Thank you to everyone who has shared their knowledge and experiences - this thread should be required reading for all parents starting the college application journey!

This entire discussion has been such a lifesaver! I'm completely new to the FAFSA process and honestly felt pretty lost when I first read about the 2023 tax requirement for 2025-2026. Like many of you, my initial reaction was "that makes no sense - why use such old information?" But after reading through all these explanations, especially about the prior-prior year system and the reasoning behind it, I'm starting to understand the logic. It's still frustrating that it doesn't capture more recent financial changes, but at least now I know there are mechanisms like Professional Judgment reviews to address that. What really stands out to me is how much preparation and organization this process requires. Between gathering all the 2023 documents, documenting any financial changes since then, and potentially dealing with multiple schools' financial aid offices, this is clearly not something to leave until the last minute. I'm taking notes on all the practical tips shared here - the dedicated email folder, keeping detailed records of any financial changes, submitting early to avoid technical glitches, and being prepared to advocate for your family's situation with documentation. This community is an amazing resource for navigating what feels like an incredibly complex system!

Just joined this community and wow, this thread is exactly what I needed! I'm a first-time parent going through the college application process and was completely confused about the FAFSA timeline until reading all of your explanations. The prior-prior year system finally makes sense now - using 2023 taxes for 2025-2026 FAFSA because those are already completed and filed when applications open. My biggest concern is similar to many others here: our financial situation has changed dramatically since 2023. My partner was diagnosed with a chronic illness last year, which has led to significant medical expenses and reduced income that won't be reflected in our 2023 taxes. Reading about Professional Judgment reviews gives me hope though! I'm already starting to gather documentation - medical bills, insurance statements, proof of reduced hours, etc. The advice about being thorough with documentation and following up appropriately really resonates. One question for those who've been through Professional Judgment reviews: is there a standard format for presenting your case, or does each school have completely different requirements? I want to be as prepared as possible when the time comes. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - this community is invaluable for navigating such a complex process!

As someone just starting to research FAFSA requirements for my son's upcoming college applications, this entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! I came here with the same confusion about using 2023 tax information for the 2025-2026 school year - it really did seem backwards until reading all the explanations about the prior-prior year system. What's really opened my eyes is learning about all the nuances beyond just the basic FAFSA filing. The Professional Judgment review process, the importance of early organization and documentation, the differences between schools in how they handle appeals - none of this was on my radar before finding this discussion. I'm particularly grateful for the practical tips about creating dedicated email folders, keeping detailed records of any financial changes since 2023, and the timeline guidance about when to submit applications versus when to pursue special circumstances reviews. The advice about calling schools directly to understand their specific processes is something I definitely wouldn't have thought to do. Like several others here, our family's financial situation has shifted since 2023 (business income fluctuations), so knowing there are pathways to address this through Professional Judgment reviews is incredibly reassuring. I'm starting my documentation efforts now based on all the excellent advice shared here. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this discussion - you've turned what felt like an overwhelming and confusing process into something much more manageable and understandable!

As a newcomer to this community and the FAFSA process, I can't thank everyone enough for this incredibly detailed and helpful discussion! I stumbled upon this thread while trying to understand the 2025-2026 FAFSA requirements for my daughter, and like so many others here, I was completely baffled by the idea of using 2023 tax information. The explanations about the prior-prior year system and the reasoning behind it have been eye-opening. It makes perfect sense once you understand that most people haven't completed their 2024 taxes when FAFSA opens in December. What I didn't expect to learn about was the whole Professional Judgment review process - this seems like crucial information that isn't widely publicized. Our situation is similar to many families here: significant changes since 2023 that won't be reflected in those tax returns. Reading about everyone's experiences with documentation and different schools' approaches to these reviews has been invaluable. I'm already starting to organize our financial records and will definitely be reaching out to schools directly to understand their specific processes. The practical tips shared throughout this thread - from creating dedicated email folders to submitting early to avoid technical issues - are exactly the kind of real-world advice you can't find in official guides. This community is an amazing resource for families navigating what can feel like an impossibly complex system. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences so generously!

As someone completely new to both this community and the college financial aid process, I want to thank everyone for creating such an incredibly informative discussion! I found this thread while researching FAFSA requirements for my oldest child's upcoming college applications, and I'm amazed at how much I've learned just from reading through all your experiences and advice. Like many others here, I was initially confused about using 2023 tax information for the 2025-2026 FAFSA - it seemed counterintuitive until I read the explanations about the prior-prior year system. The logic makes perfect sense once you understand the timing of when applications open versus when current-year taxes are available. What's been most eye-opening for me is learning about Professional Judgment reviews. This seems like such a crucial option for families whose circumstances have changed, yet it's not something I'd heard about through any of the "official" college planning resources I'd been consulting. The detailed advice about documentation, timing, and school-specific differences has been invaluable. Our family has also experienced significant changes since 2023 (career transition with temporary income reduction), so reading about everyone's strategies for building strong cases for these reviews gives me confidence that we have options even if our initial FAFSA doesn't reflect our current reality. I'm already implementing many of the organizational tips shared here - the dedicated email folder, early document gathering, and detailed record-keeping of financial changes. The collective wisdom in this thread has transformed what felt like an overwhelming process into something much more manageable. Thank you all for being so generous with your knowledge and experiences!