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.

I went through this exact situation with my daughter last year! She did 2 years at community college then transferred for what was supposed to be 2 more years, but ended up needing a 5th year for her double major in business and psychology. Here's what we learned: She was still eligible for federal aid in year 5 because she hadn't hit the lifetime limits yet. The Pell Grant 12-semester limit was the main thing to watch - in her case, she had used 8 semesters total (4 at community college + 4 at university), so she had 4 semesters of Pell eligibility remaining for her final year. The trickier part was that her university's merit scholarship ended after 4 years/8 semesters, so we lost about $3,000 per semester in institutional aid. But between remaining Pell Grant eligibility, federal loans, and a small completion grant the school offered, we managed to cover the costs. My advice: Contact the financial aid office NOW, not later. They were incredibly helpful in mapping out exactly what aid she'd qualify for and even helped us apply for some emergency grants we didn't know existed. Don't wait until summer - do it this spring so you have time to explore all options if there are any gaps. Your daughter should be fine for federal aid limits, but definitely verify the school's specific policies on institutional scholarships and grants!

This thread has been incredibly informative! As someone new to navigating college financial aid, I'm learning so much from everyone's experiences. My daughter is currently a sophomore at community college and planning to transfer for her junior year, but she's also considering adding a second major which could extend her timeline. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like the key takeaways are: 1. Federal aid has specific limits (Pell Grant 12 semesters, subsidized loans 150% of program length) 2. Institutional aid often has stricter time limits than federal aid 3. Meeting with financial aid early is crucial for planning 4. There are often additional resources like completion grants that aren't widely advertised One question I have - for those who've been through this, is it better to add the second major earlier in the academic journey to potentially avoid some of these 5th year complications, or does the timing not really matter for aid eligibility purposes? Thank you all for sharing your experiences and advice. This kind of real-world guidance is so much more helpful than trying to decode the official websites!

This has been such a comprehensive and helpful discussion! As someone currently navigating the FAFSA process for my own child, I wanted to add one more resource that might be useful for families in similar situations. The Federal Student Aid website has a tool called the "Aid Estimator" that can help you get a rough idea of your federal aid eligibility based on your current academic progress and aid history. While it's not a guarantee, it can give you a ballpark estimate before you meet with your financial aid office. Also, I've found that many schools publish their "Satisfactory Academic Progress" policies online, which include details about maximum timeframes for degree completion. This can give you insight into institutional policies before you even contact the financial aid office. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - if your daughter is close to any academic honors or dean's list recognition, make sure to highlight that when discussing aid options. Some schools have additional merit-based aid specifically for high-achieving students who need extra time to complete challenging academic programs like double majors. The proactive approach everyone's recommending really is key. Better to have these conversations now and discover you have more options than you thought, rather than wait and potentially face unpleasant surprises!

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to say how incredibly valuable this entire discussion has been! I'm a parent of a high school senior who's planning to start at community college next fall with the intention of transferring to a 4-year university, and reading through all of these real-world experiences has given me so much insight into planning ahead for potential scenarios. The breakdown of federal aid limits (Pell Grant 12 semesters, subsidized loan 150% rule) versus institutional aid policies is exactly the kind of detailed information that's hard to find elsewhere. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread and plan to reference it as we navigate the next few years. One thing that really stands out to me is how unanimous everyone is about contacting financial aid offices early and often. It sounds like they really can be advocates for students rather than just gatekeepers, which is reassuring to know. For the original poster - it seems like your daughter should be in good shape for her 5th year based on all the expert advice here, but the early communication with financial aid that everyone's recommending will definitely give you peace of mind and help you plan for any potential gaps. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and informative discussion!