How often is FAFSA renewal required? Annual vs. semester timeline confusion
I'm starting college next fall and totally confused about the FAFSA renewal schedule. Do I need to submit a new FAFSA application every semester? Or is it just once a year? I've heard different things from friends and now I'm worried I'll miss important deadlines and lose my financial aid. Also, does the CSS Profile follow the same schedule? My parents aren't super familiar with the college financial aid process either so we're all learning together. Any clarity would be super appreciated!
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Annabel Kimball
You only need to complete the FAFSA once per academic year, not every semester. The 2025-2026 FAFSA covers Fall 2025 through Summer 2026. Your financial aid package is determined annually based on this single application. The CSS Profile (if your school requires it) also follows an annual schedule, but some schools may have institutional forms that need updating each semester. Check your school's financial aid portal for specific requirements. Make sure to submit your FAFSA as early as possible after it opens on December 1st each year. Some aid is first-come, first-served!
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PaulineW
•Oh thank you so much! That's such a relief. I was stressing about having to gather all those documents multiple times a year. So I'll need to submit for 2025-2026 this December, and then I won't need to submit again until December 2026 for the next academic year, right?
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Chris Elmeda
when i was in school i forgot to resubmit one year and lost all my aid had to pay outta pocket lol dont be me
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PaulineW
•Omg that's exactly what I'm afraid of! How much notice do they give you about resubmitting?
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Jean Claude
You submit once a year but WATCH YOUR EMAIL carefully!! They randomly selected me for verification TWICE and I nearly lost my Pell Grant because I didn't see the notice until 3 weeks after they sent it. They give you a deadline to submit extra documentation and if you miss it, you're screwed. Also the deadlines can be different for state aid vs federal aid vs your specific school. Some schools have priority deadlines that are MONTHS earlier than the federal deadline!
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Charity Cohan
•This is so true. My daughter got selected for verification last year and we had to scramble to get everything together. The school wanted all kinds of extra tax documents we weren't expecting to need.
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Josef Tearle
You need to file it every year! But not every semester. So like once for your freshman year, once for sophomore year, etc. Just always do it early cuz the free $$$ runs out fast lol. I actually just filled my FAFSA out for next year and my SAI was way higher than I expected 😩 hoping I still get some aid
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PaulineW
•Thanks for the clarification! What's SAI though? Is that like the EFC from before?
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Annabel Kimball
Yes, the SAI (Student Aid Index) replaced the old EFC (Expected Family Contribution). It's essentially a number that determines your aid eligibility. The lower your SAI, the more need-based aid you may qualify for. One important note: while FAFSA is annual, stay vigilant about checking your student aid portal throughout the year. Sometimes additional requirements can come up mid-year, especially if you're selected for verification.
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PaulineW
•Got it, thank you! I'll definitely keep an eye on the portal regularly. I'm so nervous about getting everything right with all these new terms and processes.
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Shelby Bauman
I had so much trouble calling Federal Student Aid last year when my FAFSA was stuck in processing. After two weeks of constant busy signals, I finally used Claimyr.com to get through to a real person. They connected me to an FSA agent in about 10 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Was totally worth it when I couldn't get my verification issues resolved through the portal and my aid was at risk.
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Jean Claude
•Wish I'd known about this last spring! Spent literally FOUR HOURS on hold one day trying to get help with my verification issue. Will definitely check this out for this year's application.
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Quinn Herbert
FAFSA REALY NEEDS TO SIMPLIFY THEIR PROCESS!!!! I have 3 kids in college and its ABSURD having to fill out basicaly the SAME INFORMATION over and over each year! The worst part is when they make tiny changes to the form and suddenly your previous approach doesn't work. The new FAFSA for 2025-26 is supposd to be "simplified" but they've already delayed the opening date TWICE!
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Chris Elmeda
•for real tho. like why cant they just let us update the few things that changed from last year instead of starting from scratch every time
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PaulineW
I really appreciate all the responses! Just to make sure I understand correctly: 1. Submit FAFSA once per academic year (not per semester) 2. The 2025-2026 FAFSA opens December 1, 2024 3. Submit as early as possible since some aid is first-come, first-served 4. Check my school's financial aid office for any additional forms/deadlines 5. Keep checking my email/portal throughout the year in case I get selected for verification Did I miss anything important? This is way more straightforward than I thought!
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Annabel Kimball
•You've got it! The only thing I'd add is to set calendar reminders for yourself about 2-3 weeks before the FAFSA opens each December so you can start gathering documents. You'll need tax information, asset information, etc. Also, if your financial situation changes dramatically during the academic year (job loss, medical expenses, etc.), contact your school's financial aid office directly. They may be able to do a "professional judgment" review to adjust your aid package mid-year.
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Sean Kelly
•Perfect summary! One more tip from someone who just went through this - keep a folder (digital or physical) with all your FAFSA documents from this year. It'll make next year's application SO much easier when you already have everything organized. Also, if you have younger siblings, your parents will thank you for keeping everything neat and accessible for future applications!
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Nolan Carter
•This is such a helpful summary! As another newcomer to the FAFSA process, I'm bookmarking this thread. One question - when you say "submit as early as possible," is there a specific time on December 1st when it opens? Like midnight or during business hours? I want to make sure I'm ready to go right when it becomes available!
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