The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2025–2026 school year is set to open on or before December 1st. You can prepare now to complete the form by creating an online account if you don’t already have one, or making sure your email address is correct for an existing account.
Gathering the documents needed ahead of time can help you get organized and save time during the application process. How to get ready is summarized here: Filling Out the FAFSA® Form | Federal Student Aid
Why & HOw to Submit the FAFSA
The FAFSA must be submitted each year for students to be eligible for federal, state, and sometimes, college-based financial aid. The best way to file the FAFSA is online at Federal Student Aid. To file it, parents and students each need their own FSA ID – a username/password combination that functions as a legal signature. You can create an FSA ID online, and the same ID can be used for all years of college.
The FAFSA requires two key types of information: income and assets. For income, the 2025–2026 FAFSA will look back two years and rely on information from your 2023 federal income tax return. This data will be automatically imported from the IRS. For assets, the FAFSA will use the value of your assets as of the date you submit the form.
The FAFSA analyzes a family’s income and assets to calculate a figure called the “student aid index,” a benchmark that measures aid eligibility. Colleges then use the student aid index to craft a financial aid package that attempts to meet a student’s financial need. Colleges are not obligated to meet 100% of a student’s need.
Who Should file the FAFSA
All students who file the FAFSA are eligible for an unsubsidized federal Direct Loan, regardless of financial need. But students who demonstrate need on the FAFSA are eligible for a subsidized Direct Loan, which means the government pays the interest that accrues during school and any loan deferment periods. Students with a high level of financial need may also qualify for a federal Pell Grant. Filing the FAFSA does not require students to accept any loans offered ― it just gives students the option to accept them if they need to. Some colleges might also require the FAFSA before awarding students certain college-based aid, including merit scholarships and grants, so filing it can be beneficial, even if a student does not plan on taking out any federal loans.
