Which tax year info needed for 2025-2026 FAFSA application?
I'm trying to get a head start on my daughter's college applications for the 2025-2026 school year and realized I'm confused about which tax years FAFSA will require. With all the changes to the FAFSA lately, I can't remember if they still use the prior-prior year tax info or if that changed too. Does anyone know specifically which tax year(s) we'll need to submit for the 2025-2026 application? I want to make sure we have everything organized ahead of time since my husband and I have some complicated investments that made our taxes a nightmare last year.
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Owen Jenkins
For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, you'll need to submit 2023 tax information (the prior-prior year). Even with all the FAFSA Simplification Act changes, they kept the prior-prior year tax framework. So right now, you should be focusing on having your complete 2023 tax returns and documents ready. This includes your W-2s, 1099s, and Schedule forms if you have business income or investments. Also, make sure your daughter knows her FSA ID login information!
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Alice Coleman
•Thank you! That's a relief actually because we already have all our 2023 stuff organized. For some reason I was worried they might want 2024 taxes which we obviously haven't filed yet. Do you know if they're still requiring both parents to submit financial info even if we're married, or was that part of what changed?
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Lilah Brooks
its 2023 tax info for that cycle. they always do the taxes from 2 years b4 the school year starts. my brothers in college now and it's always been that way
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Jackson Carter
•This isn't always true anymore!! The FAFSA system has been changed so much and they're asking for different information now. They focus more on your SAI now instead of EFC. And some schools still want the CSS Profile too which asks for completely different tax information including current year estimates!!!
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Kolton Murphy
The previous responses are correct about using 2023 tax information for the 2025-2026 FAFSA. However, I want to clarify something important: while the Federal Student Aid office requires 2023 tax information, some colleges may separately request additional financial information for their institutional aid. If any schools on your daughter's list require the CSS Profile, they might ask for 2024 tax estimates or other supplemental financial information. It's always best to check each college's financial aid website for their specific requirements beyond the FAFSA.
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Alice Coleman
•That's really helpful to know! She's looking at a few private schools that might use the CSS Profile. I'll make a note to check their specific requirements.
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Evelyn Rivera
Just went thru this with my son. Yes its 2023 taxes for 2025-26 FAFSA. But be ready cause the new FAFSA is a NIGHTMARE!!!! Been trying to reach an actual person at FSA for weeks and just get disconnected or stuck on hold forever. Good luck!!!
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Julia Hall
•I had the same issue trying to reach someone at FSA about my contribution calculation. After wasting hours on hold, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They basically wait on hold for you and call when an agent is available. Saved me so much frustration. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Totally worth it for complicated FAFSA questions that only an actual FSA agent can answer.
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Arjun Patel
Make sure that you have ALL your 2023 documents ready to go. For complicated investments, you might need Schedule D, Schedule B, etc. The new FAFSA is supposedly simpler but my experience was the opposite. They kept asking questions about my retirement accounts that weren't even supposed to be counted! So frustrating.
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Alice Coleman
•That's what I'm worried about. We have a small business and some rental properties, so our taxes always have multiple schedules. I hope the system can handle all that without glitching out.
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Jackson Carter
EVERYONE IS WRONG HERE!!! The FAFSA has completely changed for 2025-2026!!! They're using a whole new formula called SAI instead of EFC and looking at different tax information!!! My daughter's college financial aid advisor told us everything is different now and we need to be prepared for totally different results than previous years even with the same income!!!! Don't assume it works like before!!!
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Kolton Murphy
•You're right that FAFSA now uses the Student Aid Index (SAI) instead of the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), but this change doesn't affect which tax year is used. The 2025-2026 FAFSA will still use 2023 tax information. The formula for calculating aid eligibility has changed, but the prior-prior year tax framework remains the same. Your daughter's advisor is correct that results may differ from previous years even with the same income, but that's due to the new calculation method, not a change in which tax year is used.
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Owen Jenkins
Just to add to my earlier comment - make sure you're using the official studentaid.gov website when you apply. There are a lot of scam sites that charge fees for "helping" with FAFSA applications. The official application is always free. And start early - the system tends to get overloaded closer to deadlines.
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Alice Coleman
•Good reminder about the official site. I've definitely seen those scam sites pop up in search results. We'll aim to submit as soon as the application opens. Do you happen to know when that will be for the 2025-2026 cycle?
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Kolton Murphy
Based on the current schedule, the 2025-2026 FAFSA should open on October 1, 2024. However, keep in mind that the last major FAFSA revision caused significant delays in the opening date. I recommend checking studentaid.gov periodically starting in September 2024 for any announcements about the exact opening date. And as others have mentioned, apply as early as possible - not only to avoid technical issues but also because some institutional aid is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
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Alice Coleman
•Thank you so much for all the detailed information. I'll definitely keep an eye on the opening date and make sure we're ready to submit early. Appreciate everyone's help!
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