The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be completed to apply for federal and state financial aid. Many colleges and universities, especially public institutions, require the FAFSA. The FAFSA must be submitted every year to obtain financial aid for college.
2025-26 FAFSA IMPORTANT NOTICE
The 2025-26 online FAFSA form is now available to all students and their contributors as part of an expanded beta testing period. A “beta” is an early release of a technology product. Click here for the announcement from The Department of Education. Students and Parents can review Fastweb’s FAFSA checklist to gather what is needed to get started.
How to Obtain the FAFSA
The FAFSA is available online from the Department of Education. Versions in PDF and paper versions are available. Students and parents can prepare for filing the FAFSA by getting organized prior to starting. A comprehensive resource to help students get started and best prepare for filling out the form is Fastweb’s FAFSA Checklist. It is advantageous to review all the requirements in advance in order to provide the necessary information for the submission. When students are ready to begin, the initial step is to create their and follow the FSA ID (English) and FSA ID (Spanish) instructions.
Complete the FAFSA process once you begin as soon as you can. Incomplete FAFSA applications, those started and not submitted will be deleted after 45 days of inactivity.
Videos that highlight the main actions for filing the FAFSA have been created by The Department of Education. Watch all the videos here: Federal Student Aid on You Tube.
FAFSA Filing Options
Financial aid applications, such as the FAFSA, should be submitted as soon as possible after the date they open each year. The FAFSA now permits the use of prior-prior tax year (PPY) tax information which allows for students and their families to fill out the FAFSA form as soon as it’s open. It’s important to keep in mind that to meet the deadlines for most states you should submit the form no later than March 1st, with February 15th being ideal.
Some states want more students to fill out the FAFSA to qualify for aid and are making completing the FAFSA mandatory in order to graduate from high school. Do not wait until income tax returns are filed with the IRS. You should either estimate your income – you’ll have a chance to correct errors later – or complete your tax returns early. If one or both parents do not have a social security number, the Department of Education has provided provisions for the FAFSA submission. Review the provisions in this notice: How To Submit the 2024–25 FAFSA® Form if Your Contributor Doesn’t Have an SSN
SAI Calculator Has Replaced the EFC Calculator
Beginning with the 2024-25 FAFSA filing period, the U.S. Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) released a new methodology that provides an estimate of the new Student Aid Index (SAI) and revised federal Pell Grant eligibility calculation. Students, parents and educators can now utilize the calculator to estimate federal financial aid: Student Aid Index (SAI) Calculator
For previous FAFSA years EFC calculations, view the legacy EFC calculator here: Financial Aid Estimation Form.
FAFSA resources and tools for students, parents and educators
Financial Aid Guides
- 2025-26 FAFSA Checklist: What You’ll need to Complete Your Application
- States that Require the FAFSA Completion
- National Student Aid Profile: Overview of 2024 Federal Programs
- Resources from National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC) for 2024-25 FAFSA update.
- Step by Step Guide to the Federal Financial Aid Process – Department of Education presentation
- Student Aid Reference Desk – Direct links to important financial aid regulations, legislation, research, and other key resources.
- Knowledge Center (formerly IFAP) – Library of information articles and resources for various federal student aid topics.
- Everything You Need to Know About Creating a StudentAid.gov Account
Spanish Resources from StudentAid.gov:
- Vea y descargue recursos de la oficina de Ayuda Federal para Estudiantes
- Todo lo que necesita saber sobre la creación de una cuenta StudentAid.gov
FAFSA News
- 2025-26 FAFSA Road Map
- Update on 2024-25 FAFSA Processing – March 25, 2024
- Federal Student Aid – 2024-25 FAFSA Update Tracker: FAFSA UPDATES
- Launch of the 2024-25 FAFSA form Federal Student Aid what you need to know announcement.
- What is the FAFSA? And Why You Should Care
- U.S. Department of Education Releases New Data Highlighting How the Simplified, Streamlined, and Redesigned Better FAFSA®
