The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, otherwise known as the FAFSA, is a financial aid application form used to apply for financial aid from the federal government, state governments, and most colleges and universities. The FAFSA application season typically starts on October 1, and the FAFSA deadline is typically June 30, or the end of the academic year, whichever comes first.
The FAFSA deadline for the 2024-2025 academic year is June 30, 2025. This means that students have from December 31, 2023, to June 30, 2025, to file their FAFSA application for the 2024-2025 school year.
The FAFSA deadline is the same whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student. You must complete the FAFSA to be considered for federal financial aid.
The U.S. Department of Education announced on August 27, 2024, that the 2025-26 FAFSA will be available for students and families by December 1, 2024.
The FAFSA deadline for the 2025-26 school year is June 30, 2026.
The FAFSA was expected to return to an October 1 start date for the 2025-2026 school year. However, recent announcements indicated that it will only be available as a testing/beta launch on October 1, and the full release of the 2025-2026 FAFSA will not occur until on or before December 1, 2024.
It can be confusing to know which FAFSA you should file, as the deadlines can be either before the start of the academic year, or at the end of it, depending on whether they are federal, state, or college deadlines.
Here’s a quick guide to which FAFSA you should file:
Academic year (you’ll attend college between these dates) FAFSA Submit between these dates Use income and tax info July 1, 2024 -June 30, 2025 2024-2025 FAFSA December 31, 2023 – June 30, 2025 2022, filed in 2023 July 1, 2025 -June 30, 2026 2025-2026 FAFSA December 1, 2024 – June 30, 2026 2023, filed in 2024Once you’ve submitted the FAFSA form, keep an eye on the individual financial aid deadlines for the colleges that you’re interested in attending. Prioritize those schools with the earliest deadlines, and be sure to submit any additional financial aid applications the schools may require, such as the CSS profile.
If you notice any mistakes on your form or need to make an update because your family’s financial situation has changed, you can make corrections via the My FAFSA portal. For the 2024-2025 academic year, you must submit corrections by September 14, 2025.
After submitting the FAFSA form, you’ll receive your financial award letter. This will outline how much free aid and federal loans you’re eligible for. If you feel the assessment is unfair, you can appeal.
If you plan on studying during the next financial year, start planning your next round of financial aid applications. As previously stated, submitting your FAFSA as soon as possible after the FAFSA opens on October 1 every year until you’re finished with school is important.
As you can imagine, missing the FAFSA deadline isn’t good if you need financial aid. If a college student doesn’t submit the form by the June 30 deadline, they likely won’t be eligible to receive federal financial aid for the current award year.
If you miss your college or state deadline, it’s still worth the effort of filling out the FAFSA and submitting it. Some states and schools may still have funds to provide to late applicants, but the amount you receive is likely to be lower than it would have been if you’d applied before the final deadline.
There may also be other financial assistance available. Your school’s financial aid office may be able to help you find scholarships, grants, or an emergency loan fund that you can use to pay for some of your expenses. If you still come up short you may want to consider a private student loan. A private loan with a competitive interest rate is a great supplement to savings, financial aid, and federal student loans.
Regardless of why you missed the FAFSA deadline, take some steps to make sure you don’t miss it again. Gather the necessary information before the October 1 release of the FAFSA for the next academic year and submit your application as quickly as possible.
We’ve compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions regarding the FAFSA application process and have briefly answered each below.
For the academic year 2024-2025, the FAFSA filing deadline is June 30, 2025, by 11:59 pm central time. The deadline for corrections or updates is September 14, 2025, by 11:59 pm central time. The deadline falls on the same day every year.
For the academic year 2025-2026, the FAFSA filing deadline is June 30, 2026, by 11:59 pm central time. The deadline for corrections or updates is September 14, 2026, by 11:59 pm central time. The deadline falls on the same day every year.
The FAFSA deadline is set on June 30 every year. However, if you have already submitted your FAFSA and want to make corrections or updates, you have until September 9th of the same year.
The FAFSA opens on October 1st in most years. For the 2023-24 academic year, it opened on October 1, 2022. The 2024-2025 FAFSA became available on December 31, 2023. The 2025-2026 FAFSA will become available on or before December 1, 2024.
It doesn’t matter what order you apply in, whether it’s college or FAFSA. However, it’s a good idea to apply for FAFSA as soon as possible, and you can do this before applying for college. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t decided what schools you’re applying to, as you can list up to 10 schools on the FAFSA and even add more later.
If you decide to apply to any of these schools, their financial aid office will already have the relevant information needed to create your financial aid package.
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