Filing FAFSA after late tax submission - Pell Grant eligibility with pending IRS processing?

You should definitely complete the FAFSA now rather than waiting. You can select the option that indicates you've completed your taxes but haven't filed yet, then manually enter your tax information from your completed forms. Once the IRS processes your return (which could take 6-8 weeks), you can go back and use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to update your FAFSA with the official information. Regarding Pell Grants - they're federal aid, so if your daughter qualifies based on your Student Aid Index (SAI), she'll receive the same Pell amount regardless of which school she attends. For the 2025-2026 academic year, the maximum Pell Grant is expected to be around $7,400. State schools don't control Pell Grant amounts - they simply process what the federal government determines based on your FAFSA.

I went through the EXACT same thing last year! I had a nightmare trying to reach anyone at Federal Student Aid when I needed to verify my manual tax entry was correct. After being on hold for hours and getting disconnected repeatedly, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a live FSA agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ But regarding your actual question - definitely submit now with manual entry. Schools have their own financial aid deadlines that are often much earlier than federal deadlines, and waiting could mean your daughter misses out on institutional scholarships that are first-come, first-served.

DONT WAIT!!! The financial aid offices at colleges have their own deadlines and the good money runs out FAST!! My son missed out on over $5000 in institutional grants at his state school because we waited for our tax stuff to process before submitting FAFSA. The school specifically told us "if you had submitted 3 weeks earlier, you would have qualified for our merit scholarship pool" but by the time we applied it was gone!!! Also FYI Pell Grant is federal so its the same at any school but state schools might have different STATE grants that have different eligibility. So your daughter could get different aid packages even though the Pell part would be the same.

I work in financial aid at a community college, and I can tell you that manually entering your tax info is completely fine. Just make sure to go back and use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool once your return is processed. Here's what you should do: 1. Complete the FAFSA now using your completed tax forms 2. Select "Will file" for your tax filing status 3. Enter the information manually from your completed forms 4. Submit the FAFSA to both schools 5. Once the IRS processes your return (6-8 weeks typically), go back and update using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool Regarding Pell Grants: The amount is determined solely by your SAI (Student Aid Index) and is the same regardless of which school your daughter attends. However, schools have different institutional aid policies and state grants that vary widely. You should contact both financial aid offices directly to ask about their specific aid programs and deadlines.

my daughter got pell at her state school but they still wanted her css profile for institutional scholarships. does ur private college want the css profile too? that one asks for way more financial info than fafsa and has a fee unless u get a waiver. some schools have really early deadlines for that too

Am I the only one who thinks its RIDICULOUS that we have to rush to submit FAFSA when the IRS gives us until April to file taxes??!! The whole system is so messed up - they want tax info before most people even have their W2s and then penalize us for not being quick enough even tho we're within legal tax deadlines. SMH.

One important clarification: For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, you'll be using your 2023 tax information, not your 2024 taxes that you just completed. The FAFSA always uses tax information from two years prior to the academic year (this is called prior-prior year). So for your daughter starting college in Fall 2025, the FAFSA will use your 2023 tax return information. Did you already file your 2023 taxes? If not, you definitely need to get those done immediately as that's what the 2025-2026 FAFSA will be looking for.

After checking with both schools about their actual deadlines (not just FAFSA deadlines but their institutional aid deadlines), you should definitely submit right away. Since your 2023 taxes are already filed and processed by the IRS, you should be able to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool within the FAFSA to pull that information directly. This eliminates any chance of manual entry errors. Also, I highly recommend calling both financial aid offices directly to ask about their priority deadlines for institutional scholarships. Many schools don't advertise these deadlines prominently, but missing them can mean thousands in lost potential aid.

Grace, you're in a much better position than you think! Since the 2025-2026 FAFSA uses your 2023 tax information (prior-prior year rule) and you already filed those taxes, you can use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to pull that information directly into your FAFSA. This is actually the BEST way to complete it because there's zero chance of manual entry errors. Don't stress about the 2024 taxes you just completed - those won't be used for your daughter's freshman year aid. Save yourself the worry and just focus on getting that FAFSA submitted ASAP using your already-processed 2023 tax data. The key urgency here is institutional aid deadlines at both schools. Many schools have "hidden" priority deadlines for their best scholarships that are much earlier than their published FAFSA deadlines. Call both financial aid offices TODAY and specifically ask: "What is your priority deadline for institutional scholarships and grants?" Don't just ask about FAFSA deadlines. You've got this! The hardest part (taxes) is already done for the year that actually matters.

Grace, I can totally relate to your stress! I went through something similar last year and want to echo what others have said - you're actually in a great position since your 2023 taxes are already filed and processed. One thing I didn't see mentioned is that you should also check if either school requires the FAFSA to be submitted before they'll even process your daughter's admission for certain merit scholarships. Some schools won't consider students for their best aid packages unless the FAFSA is on file, even if the scholarships aren't technically need-based. Also, when you call the financial aid offices (definitely do this!), ask specifically about their "priority filing dates" vs their "deadline dates" - these are often two very different things. Priority dates are usually much earlier but can make a huge difference in aid amounts. Since you mentioned family health issues, you might also want to ask about special circumstances appeals once you submit the FAFSA. If your 2024 income was significantly impacted by medical expenses or lost work time, the schools can sometimes adjust your aid package through professional judgment. You're being a great advocate for your daughter - just get that FAFSA submitted ASAP with the 2023 data!

Grace, I'm a financial aid counselor and want to reinforce what others have said - you're actually in better shape than you realize! Since the 2025-2026 FAFSA uses your 2023 tax return (which is already processed), you can complete it today using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool with zero manual entry required. Here's my action plan for you: 1. Log into FAFSA today and start the application 2. Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to pull your 2023 tax data directly 3. Submit to both schools immediately 4. Call BOTH financial aid offices tomorrow morning - ask specifically about "priority deadlines for institutional aid" and "merit scholarship filing requirements" One critical point: many students lose out on thousands in institutional grants simply because they don't realize schools often have internal deadlines weeks or months before their published FAFSA deadlines. Don't let this happen to your daughter! Also, since you mentioned significant medical expenses in 2024, definitely ask both schools about their "special circumstances" or "professional judgment" appeal processes. They can sometimes adjust your aid package based on circumstances not reflected in the 2023 tax data. You've got this - just get that FAFSA submitted today!

Grace, I can see you're getting some great advice here! As someone who just went through this process with my son, I wanted to add one more thing that really helped us - when you call the financial aid offices tomorrow, also ask if they have any "emergency" or "expedited" FAFSA processing for families who had legitimate delays like medical emergencies. Some schools have special procedures for situations exactly like yours where family health crises caused delays. They might be able to flag your daughter's file for priority review or consideration for late-deadline scholarships if you explain the circumstances. Also, keep documentation of those medical issues and any correspondence showing the health emergency timeline - this could be helpful for both the special circumstances appeals and potentially for explaining any delayed submissions to scholarship committees. You're doing everything right by acting quickly now. Your daughter is lucky to have such a dedicated parent advocating for her!

Grace, I'm so glad to see you're getting such comprehensive advice here! I went through a very similar situation two years ago (also due to family medical issues) and want to share one additional tip that saved us thousands. After you submit the FAFSA using your 2023 data and call both schools about their priority deadlines, also ask each financial aid office about their "professional judgment review" timeline. Some schools process these appeals much faster than others, and if your 2024 medical expenses and income changes are significant, this could result in additional aid. Also, don't forget to check if your state has its own student aid programs with separate deadlines. Many families focus so much on federal aid and school-specific aid that they miss out on state grants that could be substantial. Your state's higher education website should have this information. You're handling this crisis so well - your daughter is going to have great options thanks to your persistence! The fact that you're acting quickly now despite everything you've been through shows incredible dedication.