FAFSA timing for 2025-2026 school year - single mom confusion

You're actually at the perfect time to start preparing, but you can't submit quite yet. The 2025-2026 FAFSA won't open until December 2024 (they pushed back the opening date last year and are keeping that schedule). You'll use your 2023 tax information when you apply. Here's a rough timeline: - Now through November: Create FSA IDs for both you and your son - Gather your 2023 tax documents and asset information - December 2024: FAFSA application opens - Submit as close to opening date as possible (some aid is first-come, first-served) As a single parent, make sure you understand how to correctly report your income and assets. The new FAFSA has changed how they calculate the Student Aid Index (SAI, formerly EFC).

My son jsut finished his freshman year and I was so confused too!! They changed everything last year and it was a MESS. Make sure you start the application as SOON as it opens in December because there were so many glitches last time and people who waited until January/February had tons of problems.

Make sure u check with the specific colleges ur son is applying to because some of them have extra forms besides FAFSA like the CSS Profile and they have different deadlines!!! We almost missed a big scholarship because we didn't know about the extra forms.

Since you mentioned being a single mom with a recent change in family structure, I want to add that you should be prepared to possibly go through a process called "Professional Judgment" or sometimes "Special Circumstances Review." If your 2023 tax information doesn't accurately reflect your current financial situation due to divorce, you can request that financial aid offices review your actual current situation. Every school handles this differently, but typically you'll need documentation of the change in circumstances. This is separate from the FAFSA itself - you'll still submit the FAFSA with 2023 info, then contact each school's financial aid office about your changed situation.

THe whole FAFSA system is BROKEN!! I did everything right for my daughter last year, submitted early, and they STILL messed up her SAI calculation because of the divorced parent situation. We had to appeal with 3 different schools and one of them never even responded until MAY when it was too late!!! The phone support is a complete joke - 2+ hour wait times and then they hang up on you half the time.

As someone who works in college advising, I'd recommend you also look into state-specific financial aid programs since they often have different deadlines than FAFSA. Some states have grant programs specifically for single parents or for students with single parents. Your son's high school guidance counselor should have information about state-specific options. And one more tip: when you create your FSA ID, write down your username, password, and the answers to your challenge questions somewhere secure. The #1 delay I see is parents forgetting their FSA ID credentials and having to go through recovery when it's time to submit.

congrats on ur son going to college!! my daughter just graduated and the fafsa was stressful but worth it. she got a pell grant we didnt expect!

To answer your Illinois question - yes, there's the Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grant for Illinois residents attending approved Illinois schools. It's based on financial need and doesn't need to be repaid. Illinois also prioritizes by FAFSA filing date, so submitting early is even more important for state aid. Regarding your question about the Professional Judgment process - yes, exactly right. Complete the FAFSA with your 2023 information (including ex-spouse's income), submit it, then immediately contact each school's financial aid office about your changed circumstances. They'll have their own forms and required documentation, usually things like: - Divorce decree - Proof of separate addresses - Recent pay stubs showing current income - Sometimes a detailed budget of your current expenses Do this as early as possible after FAFSA submission - don't wait for aid offers to come out first.

Quick warning - when you make the FSA IDs, they sometimes take 1-3 days to fully activate, so dont wait till the last minute! My son's took 2 days and mine took almost a week because there was some kind of verification issue with my email.

Just wanted to add one more thing that helped me as a single mom - create a dedicated folder (physical or digital) right now for all your FAFSA and financial aid documents. Include copies of your 2023 tax return, bank statements, investment records, and any divorce paperwork. Having everything organized in one place made the whole process so much smoother when December rolled around. Also, if your son has any savings accounts or investments in his name, you'll need those records too since student assets are counted differently than parent assets on the FAFSA. Good luck - you've got this!