FAFSA renewal confusion - does it roll over each year or need new application for 25-26?

Hi there! You'll need to complete a new FAFSA for each academic year. The 2024-2025 FAFSA covers Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and sometimes Summer 2025 (depending on your school's financial aid calendar). Then you'll need to submit the 2025-2026 FAFSA for Fall 2025 and Spring 2026. The good news is renewal applications are typically easier since some information carries over, but you'll still need to update financial information and submit a fresh application each year.

congrats on figuring out the fafsa!!! my kid is in 3rd yr and i STILL get confused lol. but ya, new one every year. the dates are weird cause the school year and fiscal year dont match up.

Unfortunately you have to fill out a new FAFSA every single year and honestly its such a pain in the butt. The government claims they've simplified it but the new 2024-2025 form was a NIGHTMARE for us. Three attempts and website crashes each time. My daughter nearly missed her school's priority deadline because the FSA ID system was down for maintenance too. Just be prepared for the headache again next year...

When my daughter was in school, I discovered using Claimyr to get through to a real FAFSA agent was a lifesaver. Spent hours on hold trying to fix a parent contribution error before finding them. Just go to claimyr.com, and they'll call the FAFSA line for you and connect you when an agent is ready. Saved me so much frustration! They even have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

Everyone else covered the basics, but here's a pro tip for your next FAFSA: Set a calendar reminder for OCTOBER to gather all tax documents, W-2s, and bank statements. The 2025-2026 FAFSA opens December 1, 2024, and will use 2023 tax information (same as your current application). Having everything ready saves SO much stress. Also, your school's financial aid office usually does FAFSA workshops in November/December. Take advantage of these! They can check your application before submission and catch common errors that might delay processing.

ya its a new one every yr and make sure u dont miss the deadline!!! my kid lost half his aid sophomore yr cause we filed 3 days late :

To add some clarity about summer terms: Each school determines which aid year covers their summer sessions. Some schools treat Summer 2025 as part of the 2024-2025 aid year, while others consider it the beginning of the 2025-2026 aid year. I recommend contacting your son's specific school financial aid office to ask: 1) Which FAFSA covers their Summer 2025 sessions 2) What their priority filing deadline is for 2025-2026 FAFSA 3) If they have any supplemental financial aid forms beyond FAFSA Many schools also require the CSS Profile for institutional aid, which has different deadlines than FAFSA. Not every school uses it, but it's worth checking.

Another thing no one warned me about - if your income changes significantly between tax years, you'll need to file a special circumstances form with each school. My husband lost his job after we filed the FAFSA using the previous year's income info, and our EFC was completely wrong. Took months to get it adjusted.

Thank you all so much for the helpful advice! Just to make sure I've got this straight now: 1. We'll need to file a new FAFSA for 2025-2026 starting December 1, 2024 2. I should check with his specific school about summer 2025 coverage and priority deadlines 3. I should start gathering 2023 tax documents now (same ones we just used) 4. I need to ask about CSS Profile requirements for his specific school This is so much more complicated than I expected but I feel much better prepared now. REALLY appreciate all of you taking time to explain this!

Welcome to the FAFSA maze! 😅 As a fellow parent who just went through this - you're absolutely right that it's confusing at first. Everyone here has given you great advice, but I wanted to add one more thing that saved me headaches: create a simple spreadsheet or document tracking all the important dates for your son's school (FAFSA deadline, verification deadlines, CSS Profile if needed, etc.). Also, if your son plans to live on campus next year, housing deposits often have early deadlines that come BEFORE you get your final financial aid package. Just something to keep in mind for planning purposes. You're doing great by asking these questions early - so many parents figure this stuff out the hard way!

Don't feel overwhelmed - you're actually ahead of the game by asking these questions now! I just went through my first year with this process too and wish I had found this community earlier. One thing that really helped me was setting up text alerts from my son's school financial aid office - they send reminders about upcoming deadlines and when aid packages are ready. Also, if you're using tax software like TurboTax or H&R Block, they often have a feature to export your tax info directly to the FAFSA which can save time and reduce errors. You've got this! The second year is definitely easier once you know what to expect.

Just wanted to chime in as another first-time college parent! Reading through all these responses has been SO helpful - I'm bookmarking this thread for reference. One thing I learned the hard way this year is to screenshot or print your FAFSA confirmation page after submission. My son's school asked for our "DRN" (Data Release Number) during verification and I had no idea where to find it since I didn't save that initial confirmation. Had to dig through old emails to locate it. Small detail but could save you some stress later! Also echoing what others said about staying on top of your school's student portal - they post financial aid updates there that don't always get emailed out.