FAFSA shows 24-25 application instead of 25-26 for incoming freshman - did I start the wrong form?

yes ur doing the wrong year. 24-25 is for ppl attending college starting THIS fall (2024). for NEXT fall (2025) u need the 25-26 form. its not available yet tho, doesnt open until December probably

You're definitely working on the 2024-2025 FAFSA, which is for students attending college between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025. For a freshman starting in Fall 2025, you'll need the 2025-2026 FAFSA, which isn't available yet. The Department of Education typically opens the new FAFSA in December of the preceding year, so you should be able to start the correct application in December 2024. Unfortunately, you'll need to wait until then to submit the correct application. The good news is that you'll have plenty of time - most college priority deadlines for Fall 2025 freshmen will be in February or March 2025.

OMG this whole FAFSA system is such a NIGHTMARE!!! Why don't they make it clearer which form is for which year?? I spent THREE HOURS last year filling out the wrong form and then had to start all over again. And then when I finally submitted the right one, they flagged us for verification and we had to submit like 50 more documents. The whole thing is designed to make it impossible for students to get financial aid!!!

The year in the FAFSA application (24-25) refers to the academic year your daughter would be attending college. Since she's starting in Fall 2025, you need the 2025-2026 FAFSA, which will be available in December 2024. However, there's a silver lining here: you've essentially gotten a practice run with the new FAFSA format. The Department of Education completely redesigned the form last year, so having this experience will make completing the correct form much easier when it becomes available. I recommend making notes about what financial information was required so you can have it ready in December. Also, be aware that the 2025-2026 FAFSA will use your 2023 tax information (they use tax data from two years prior to the start of the academic year).

Ran into this exact problem when my son was applying to colleges! If she's applying for Fall 2025, you need the 25-26 FAFSA which isn't out yet. One thing to note - if she's applying Early Decision to any schools, some of them have financial aid deadlines in November, before the new FAFSA is even available. In those cases, they might use the CSS Profile instead, which is a different financial aid form used by some private colleges. Worth checking the financial aid deadlines for each school she's applying to.

I work in a college financial aid office, and this is one of the most common points of confusion we see. For a student starting in Fall 2025, you'll need the 2025-2026 FAFSA, which should be available in December 2024. While you wait for the correct FAFSA to become available, I'd recommend a few things: 1. Make sure you both have FSA IDs set up (which it sounds like you do since you started an application) 2. Gather your 2023 tax returns and W-2s (that's the tax year needed for the 2025-26 FAFSA) 3. Research scholarship opportunities - many private scholarships have early deadlines 4. Check if any of her potential colleges require the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA The good news is that you're clearly planning ahead, which puts you ahead of many families!

When I was trying to reach the FSA help desk about this same issue last year, I spent HOURS on hold and kept getting disconnected. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that held my place in line and called me back when an agent was ready. Saved me so much time and frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. I'm definitely using it again when the new FAFSA comes out because those phone lines get crazy in December!

btw when the new fafsa drops in dec it gets SUPER slow the first couple weeks cuz everyones trying to do it at once. might wanna wait till like mid jan if ur deadline isnt till february or march

One other important thing to note: The FAFSA for 2025-2026 will use your 2023 tax information, but if your financial situation has changed significantly since 2023 (job loss, major medical expenses, etc.), you can submit something called a Special Circumstances form to the financial aid offices after you receive aid offers. Each college handles these differently, but they can potentially adjust your aid if your current situation is much different than what's reflected in your 2023 taxes. Just something to be aware of!

I just went through this same confusion with my daughter last month! You're definitely on the wrong form - the 2024-25 FAFSA is for students starting college THIS fall (2024), not next fall (2025). For incoming freshmen starting Fall 2025, you'll need to wait for the 2025-26 FAFSA which typically opens in December. I know it's frustrating to realize you've been working on the wrong form, but honestly it's not wasted effort! Going through it now gives you a great preview of what information you'll need when the correct form opens. I'd recommend saving a list of all the documents and financial info you gathered so you're ready to go in December. Also, double-check the financial aid deadlines for all the schools she's applying to. Some might have early deadlines that require the CSS Profile before the FAFSA is even available. Better to know now than be surprised later!