When will 2025-2026 FAFSA forms be available for Fall 2025 college freshmen?

The 2025-2026 FAFSA forms will likely be available on October 1, 2024. After the rocky rollout of the new simplified FAFSA last year, they're sticking with the October 1 release date going forward. This gives you plenty of time to complete it before most college priority financial aid deadlines (which are typically between January-March). Some advice: Gather your 2023 tax returns now (that's the tax year they'll use), make sure both you and your daughter create FSA IDs well before October (this alone can take a few days to process), and remember that the earlier you submit, the better your chances for getting maximum aid. Some state grants are first-come, first-served.

october 1!!! always october 1 for last few years. mark ur calendar

Like others mentioned, October 1st is the official release date, but I'd advise preparing well before that. The 2024-2025 FAFSA had major delays and technical issues when it first launched. Many of us couldn't even access the system for weeks after the supposed launch date. Since they're still fairly new to the simplified FAFSA system, I'd recommend: 1. Creating FSA IDs for both you and your daughter at least 2-3 weeks before October (yes, you each need separate IDs) 2. Gathering ALL your financial documents early (2023 tax returns, W-2s, bank statements, investment records) 3. Setting calendar reminders for early October, but don't panic about submitting on day one 4. Checking if any of your daughter's potential schools require the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA (mostly private colleges do) The new FAFSA calculates the Student Aid Index (SAI) differently than the old Expected Family Contribution (EFC), so even if you've done this before with older children, there are significant changes.

If you're having trouble reaching anyone at Federal Student Aid about FAFSA questions, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent when we had issues with our application processing this year. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Saved me hours of waiting on hold. The agent was able to tell me exactly what was holding up our application and how to fix it. Worth knowing about just in case you run into issues with the 2025-2026 form.

Make sure u understand the difference between grants and loans too!!! My kid got a "financial aid package" that was mostly loans and we didn't realize it until after he accepted. Now he has so much debt and we should of just picked a cheaper school. Pell Grants are free money but loans u gotta pay back with interest.

One more tip - the 2025-2026 FAFSA will still use the new "Student Aid Index" (SAI) instead of the old "Expected Family Contribution" (EFC). The calculation is different, so don't be surprised if your aid eligibility seems different than what you might have expected or heard about from friends with older children. The new formula treats family contributions differently, especially for families with multiple children in college simultaneously. It also has different treatment of small business assets and farm value. If your SAI seems unexpectedly high when you get your results, you can always contact the financial aid offices at your daughter's chosen schools to discuss professional judgment adjustments.

idk if anyone mentioned but some states have their own deadlines for state grants that are way earlier than college deadlines!! my brother missed out on state money because we didnt know about that. check your state financial aid website!!