FAFSA for student teacher with completed coursework - Fall 2025 requirement?

Yes, you absolutely need to fill out the FAFSA. Student teaching is still considered enrollment, and she'll be registered for credit hours even if she's not physically in a classroom taking courses. Those credits for student teaching are part of her degree requirements, so she's still an enrolled student eligible for financial aid. The 2025-2026 FAFSA would cover that Fall 2025 semester.

omg i had the EXACT same question last yr for my son!! def fill it out - student teaching = still a student!

Let me clarify a few things since there's some confusion here: 1. Student teaching is typically registered as credit hours (often 6-12 credits depending on the program) 2. For FAFSA purposes, your daughter is considered enrolled at least half-time during student teaching 3. This makes her eligible for federal loans and potentially other aid 4. The university counts this as her final semester toward degree completion So yes, you should complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA. However, some grants like Pell might be prorated if she's only enrolled for one semester of the academic year. Each institution handles student teaching differently in terms of tuition costs too - some charge regular tuition, others charge a reduced rate for these field experiences.

My daughter just finished her student teaching last fall and we definitely needed FAFSA. Actually the student teaching semester was MORE expensive than regular ones because she couldn't work her campus job anymore but still had all her living expenses plus had to buy professional clothes and commute to her placement school. Definitely fill it out!!

The financial aid system is so broken! When my son did his student teaching the university still charged FULL TUITION even though he wasn't using any campus resources!!! And then they had the nerve to charge a "student teaching placement fee" on top of that. Made me FURIOUS. But yes, unfortunately you need FAFSA because they'll probably gouge you too. 😡

I work in an education department (not financial aid specifically), and I can confirm student teaching absolutely requires FAFSA if you want any financial assistance. It's considered a full load despite not having traditional classes. One important note: make sure your daughter checks if her university requires her to maintain certain eligibility for aid during student teaching - some education programs have minimum GPA requirements that are higher than the general university requirements to maintain aid eligibility during that final student teaching semester.

I had a TERRIBLE time trying to reach our financial aid office about this same question last year! Kept getting disconnected or waiting on hold forever. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to reach someone at Federal Student Aid and got clarification. They have this video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - saved me hours of frustration. They confirmed student teaching counts as enrollment for financial aid purposes. Good luck!

One more thing to consider: if your daughter will graduate in December 2025 after completing student teaching, she'll only need aid for fall semester. In that case, when you complete the FAFSA, there should be a question about expected graduation date. Make sure to indicate the correct graduation date so her aid will be calculated properly for a single semester rather than the full academic year.

My nephew thought he didn't need FAFSA for student teaching and it was a DISASTER. Got hit with full tuition and no aid. Don't make that mistake!!! Fill it out!!

btw u should prob fill it out ASAP when it opens in december cuz some aid is first-come first-served and student teachers sometimes get lower priority for certain campus-based funds (at least that's what happened to us).

Since your daughter will be student teaching in your hometown, also check if she'll be changing her living situation. If she's moving back home with you after being away at college, that could affect her cost of attendance calculation. Make sure the financial aid office knows about any change in housing status, as this can affect her overall aid package for that final semester.