How many years can my son apply for FAFSA with double major adding 5th year?

The FAFSA itself doesn't have a limit - it's just the application form. What has limits are the federal student aid programs themselves. The main ones to know about: 1. Federal Pell Grants - limited to 12 semesters (or 6 years) of funding 2. Subsidized Direct Loans - limited to 150% of program length (so 6 years for a 4-year degree) 3. Unsubsidized loans have higher lifetime limits but they still exist Your daughter should be fine for her 5th year, especially since the double major is extending a bachelor's program she's already in. Just make sure she doesn't run into the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements at her school.

ur daughters fine. i did 3 yrs community college and then 3 more at state university (6 total!!) and still got fafsa the whole time. she just needs to keep her grades up to meet what they call SAP (satisfactory acedemic progress) which is usually like a 2.0 gpa minimum.

In addition to what others have mentioned, your daughter should be aware of: 1. Her total Aggregate Loan Limits for federal direct loans (both subsidized and unsubsidized combined): - Dependent students: $31,000 total ($23,000 max in subsidized) - Independent students: $57,500 total ($23,000 max in subsidized) 2. The school's own policies - some institutions have their own internal limits on how long they'll offer institutional aid regardless of federal eligibility I'd recommend she schedule a meeting with her financial aid office ASAP to confirm her specific eligibility for next year. They have access to her complete aid history and can tell her exactly what aid she qualifies for in her final year.

My son went through somethng similar when he added a minor his senior year. You have to also check you're daughters school policies!!! Some schools have 4 year max for their scholarships even if federal money might still be available. My son lost his merit scholarship in year 5 but could still get loans. Check with the financial aid office NOW don't wait!!

I've spent 2 hours trying to call federal student aid to get a clear answer about my son's situation (similar to yours) and couldn't get through the endless holds. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an FSA agent in about 10 mins. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that explains how it works. The agent confirmed that my son was still within his federal aid limits for his 5th year but that we needed to check with the school about their specific policies too. Saved me so much frustration!

To address your specific question about community college + university: For the 150% subsidized loan limit, they look at the current program your daughter is enrolled in. So if she's in a 4-year bachelor's program now, her limit would be 6 years total (150% of 4 years). The previous community college time DOES count toward this 6-year total IF she was taking courses that apply to her current bachelor's degree. Since you mentioned she did 2+2, I'm assuming those community college credits transferred, so they would count. But again, this only applies to subsidized loans. She could still get unsubsidized loans and potentially Pell (if she hasn't hit the 12-semester limit).

Something else to consider - the SAI calculation on the 2025-2026 FAFSA might produce a different result than previous years, especially with the new FAFSA Simplification changes. Even if your daughter is eligible for the same aid programs, her award amounts could change. Make sure you gather all documentation early for the 2025-2026 FAFSA and submit as soon as it opens (typically October 1, 2024 for the 2025-2026 academic year). With it being her final year, you'll want to maximize every opportunity.

Just wanted to add one more thing that might be helpful - if your daughter does hit any federal aid limits, she should also look into state-specific financial aid programs. Many states have their own grant programs with different eligibility requirements and time limits than federal aid. Also, some schools offer emergency financial aid or completion grants specifically for students in their final year who are close to graduating but facing funding gaps. It's worth asking the financial aid office about these options too. The key is to have multiple backup plans in place before her final year starts, since you want to avoid any surprises that could delay her graduation!

Great thread with lots of helpful information! I'm actually dealing with a similar situation with my daughter who's also extending her degree for a double major. One thing I learned that might help - if your daughter does end up losing any merit-based institutional aid for her 5th year, check if her school offers "senior year completion scholarships" or "degree completion grants." These are sometimes separate from the regular merit aid pools and specifically designed for students who need one more year to finish. Also, keep detailed records of all her aid history - loan amounts, Pell Grant semesters used, etc. Having this organized will make the conversation with financial aid much more productive. The National Student Loan Data System (nslds.ed.gov) is a good place to check her federal aid history if you haven't already. Best of luck! It sounds like she's worked really hard to get this far, and hopefully the financial aid will work out for that final push to graduation.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm new to this community and currently dealing with a similar situation. My daughter is finishing her 4th year and just realized she needs one more semester to complete her double major in finance and accounting. Reading through all the responses here, I feel much more confident about approaching our financial aid office. The breakdown of federal vs. institutional aid limits has been eye-opening - I had no idea that merit scholarships often cap out at 8 semesters regardless of federal eligibility. One quick question for those who've been through this: when you met with financial aid to discuss 5th year options, did you find it helpful to bring any specific documentation beyond the degree audit? I want to make sure we're as prepared as possible for that conversation. Thank you all for sharing your experiences so openly. It's reassuring to know that 5th year students do successfully get aid - it just takes some extra planning and advocacy!