Navigating the 2025-2026 FAFSA: A Comprehensive Guide to Deadlines, Requirements, and Recent Changes

Executive Summary

This report provides an exhaustive analysis of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the upcoming academic year.

The “current” FAFSA for students planning to attend college between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, is the 2025-2026 FAFSA form.¹

The application cycle has undergone significant changes, making a thorough understanding of its new landscape essential for all applicants.

The 2025-2026 FAFSA became available to the public following a phased rollout that began around December 1, 2024.¹

This timeline is a continuation of the adjusted schedule implemented due to the FAFSA Simplification Act.

While the final federal submission deadline is a distant

June 30, 2026, this date is misleading.⁴

The most critical deadlines are the much earlier “priority” deadlines set by states and individual colleges, which often fall in the early months of 2025 and are paramount for maximizing financial aid eligibility.⁶

A pivotal requirement for the 2025-2026 FAFSA is the use of 2023 federal tax information.¹

This “prior-prior year” rule is a fixed requirement, and applicants cannot substitute 2024 tax data.¹⁰

The FAFSA Simplification Act continues to fundamentally reshape the application process.

The changes that debuted in the previous cycle are now established practice for 2025-2026.

These include the replacement of the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) with the new Student Aid Index (SAI), which uses a different formula to determine financial need.¹¹

The application process now involves mandatory participation from all required

“Contributors” (e.g., parents, spouse), each of whom needs their own StudentAid.gov account.¹⁰

Furthermore, every contributor must provide non-negotiable

consent to the IRS Direct Data Exchange (DDX); failure to do so results in immediate ineligibility for federal student aid.¹⁴

The primary strategic imperative for all applicants is to file a complete and accurate FAFSA as early as possible, targeting the earliest applicable state or institutional priority deadline.

Successfully navigating the new contributor system and understanding the profound implications of the new SAI calculation are the keys to unlocking access to higher education funding in this new era of financial aid.

Identifying the Correct FAFSA for the 2025-2026 Academic Year

A common point of confusion for students and families is the relationship between the FAFSA application cycle and the academic year it funds.

The terminology is straightforward: the 2025-2026 FAFSA is the application used to apply for financial aid for the 2025-2026 academic year, which typically covers the period from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, encompassing the Fall 2025, Spring 2026, and Summer 2026 semesters.¹

Any student seeking consideration for federal grants (such as the Pell Grant), work-study programs, and federal student loans, as well as most state- and institution-based financial aid, must complete this specific form.⁴

The Prior-Prior Year Rule and Required Tax Information

The FAFSA operates on what is known as the “prior-prior year” (PPY) rule regarding income information.

This means the application uses federal tax data from two years prior to the start of the academic year.

Consequently, for the 2025-2026 FAFSA, all applicants and contributors must report their 2023 income and tax information.⁹

This rule was implemented to decouple the FAFSA filing period from the tax filing season.

By using already-completed tax returns, families can file the FAFSA earlier and with greater accuracy, eliminating the need to estimate income and later update the application.⁹

It is critical to note that this is a fixed requirement; applicants cannot use 2024 tax information on the 2025-2026 FAFSA, even after they have filed their 2024 taxes.¹⁰

Application Availability and System Stabilization

Historically, the FAFSA became available on October 1st each year.

However, the monumental changes mandated by the FAFSA Simplification Act required a complete overhaul of the underlying technology and processes, leading to a delayed launch for the 2024-2025 cycle.

For the 2025-2026 cycle, the U.S. Department of Education continued a cautious approach, implementing a phased rollout.

The process began with a beta testing period on October 1, 2024, for a limited group of users to identify and resolve system errors, with the form becoming broadly available to all students on or before December 1, 2024.³

This staggered release schedule reflects the system’s ongoing stabilization following the massive legislative changes.

The troubled launch of the 2024-25 FAFSA, which was marked by significant technical problems and processing delays, prompted the Department of Education to adopt this more measured rollout for the 2025-26 cycle.

This approach, while prudent for ensuring system integrity, signals that the platform is not yet as mature or predictable as it was prior to the Simplification Act.

Applicants should therefore approach the process with the understanding that unforeseen issues with account creation, contributor invitations, or data transfer could still arise.

This elevates the importance of filing the FAFSA as early as possible, providing a crucial buffer to troubleshoot any potential technical hurdles well before critical deadlines approach.

The Department of Education has stated its intention to return to the traditional October 1 launch date for the 2026-2027 application cycle.¹³

A Comprehensive Guide to the FAFSA Deadline Ecosystem

The FAFSA is not governed by a single date but by a three-tiered ecosystem of deadlines.

Understanding this hierarchy is essential, as the earliest deadline applicable to a student is almost always the most important for maximizing their financial aid package.

Missing an early state or institutional deadline can result in the loss of thousands of dollars in aid, even if the federal deadline is months away.

Tier 1: The Federal Deadline (The Final Safety Net)

The U.S. Department of Education sets the absolute final deadline for FAFSA submission.

For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, this deadline is June 30, 2026.⁴

Any necessary corrections to a submitted application must be made by mid-September 2026.⁸

However, this date is dangerously misleading for applicants seeking more than just federal loans.

By the time the federal deadline arrives, the vast majority of state and institutional grant and scholarship funds have already been awarded and depleted.

The federal deadline should be viewed only as a final safety net—the last possible moment to apply for federal aid like the Pell Grant and Direct Loans for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Relying on this date will almost certainly cause an applicant to miss out on significant aid opportunities.

Tier 2: State Deadlines (The Gateway to State-Funded Aid)

Nearly every state offers its own financial aid programs, and eligibility for these grants and scholarships is almost always tied to the FAFSA.

States establish their own FAFSA filing deadlines, which vary dramatically across the country.⁶

Critically, many of these state aid programs operate on a

first-come, first-served basis, meaning they award funds to eligible applicants in the order they apply until the money runs O.T.⁸

This makes early filing paramount.

The variance in state deadlines is substantial:

• Early Priority Deadlines: Some states have very early priority deadlines to ensure students receive maximum consideration. For example, Missouri’s priority deadline is February 3, 2025, and Connecticut’s is February 15, 2025.⁶
• Spring Deadlines: Many states set deadlines in the spring, such as Maryland (March 1, 2025), California (March 3, 2025), and Florida (May 15, 2025).⁶
• “As Soon As Possible” (ASAP) Guidance: A significant number of states, including Illinois, Kentucky, and Washington, do not set a firm priority deadline but instead advise students to file “as soon as possible” after the FAFSA opens, explicitly stating that awards are made until funds are depleted.⁸ For these states, filing in the first weeks of availability is the best strategy.
• Unique Cases: Some states have complex or unique deadline structures. California, for instance, has a March 3 deadline for most Cal Grant programs but a later September 2 deadline for additional community college Cal Grants.⁶ For the 2025-2026 cycle, Texas extended its state priority deadline to February 15, 2025, but officially notes this is a temporary change and the deadline will revert to January 15 in future years.²³

The following table provides a consolidated list of state deadlines for the 2025-2026 FAFSA, highlighting the importance of verifying this information with the specific state agency.

State	2025-2026 Deadline(s)	Key Notes
Alabama	Check with financial aid administrator.	FAFSA completion required for state aid.21
Alaska	Alaska Education Grant: ASAP after Dec. 31, 2024. Alaska Performance Scholarship: June 30, 2025 (priority).	Awards are made until funds are depleted.21
Arizona	April 1, 2025 (priority).	First-come, first-served basis.21
Arkansas	Academic Challenge & ArFuture Grant (Fall): July 1, 2025. ArFuture Grant (Spring): Jan. 10, 2026.	Deadlines are by midnight Central Time (CT).6
California	March 3, 2025 (for most state aid). Sept. 2, 2025 (for community college Cal Grants).	GPA verification also due March 3. Undocumented students use CADAA.6
Colorado	Check with financial aid administrator.	State has separate application for undocumented students (CASFA).21
Connecticut	Feb. 15, 2025 (priority).	Additional forms may be required.6
Delaware	June 15, 2025.	Deadline is by midnight CT.6
D.C.	June 25, 2025 (priority for FAFSA). July 1, 2025 (for DC OneApp for Tuition Assistance Grant).	Aid is first-come, first-served.6
Florida	May 15, 2025 (date processed).	File early as processing can take time.6
Georgia	ASAP after Oct. 1, 2024.	Check GAfutures.org for details.21
Hawaii	Check with financial aid administrator.	Additional forms may be required.21
Idaho	March 1, 2025 (for Opportunity Scholarship).	Deadline is by midnight CT.21
Illinois	ASAP after FAFSA opens.	Awards for MAP grant are made until funds are depleted.21
Indiana	April 15, 2025 (for Frank O’Bannon Grant & 21st Century Scholarship). ASAP for others.	Adult Student Grant and Workforce Ready Grant are first-come, first-served.6
Iowa	July 1, 2025.	Earlier priority deadlines may exist for certain programs.6
Kansas	April 1, 2025 (priority).	Deadline is by midnight CT.8
Kentucky	ASAP after Oct. 1, 2024.	Awards are made until funds are depleted.6
Louisiana	July 1, 2026 (Feb. 1, 2025 recommended).	The recommended date is key for priority consideration.6
Maine	May 1, 2025.	.6
Maryland	March 1, 2025.	For Howard P. Rawlings Educational Excellence Awards.6
Massachusetts	May 1, 2025 (priority).	.6
Michigan	July 1, 2025 (priority).	For Michigan Competitive Scholarship and Tuition Grant.6
Minnesota	June 30, 2026.	Same as the federal deadline.6
Mississippi	April 30, 2025 (HELP Grant). Oct. 15, 2025 (MTAG/MESG Grants).	Note the different deadlines for different grants.6
Missouri	Feb. 3, 2025 (priority).	Applications accepted through April 1, 2025.6
Montana	ASAP after Oct. 1, 2024 (priority).	Check with financial aid office.6
Nebraska	Check with financial aid administrator.
Nevada	March 1, 2025 (Nevada Promise Scholarship). ASAP for Silver State Opportunity Grant.	Silver State grant is first-come, first-served.8
New Hampshire	Check with financial aid administrator.
New Jersey	April 15, 2025 (Tuition Aid Grant recipients). Sept. 15, 2025 (other Fall/Spring).	Note multiple deadlines based on applicant status.8
New Mexico	Check with financial aid administrator.
New York	June 30, 2026.	Additional forms may be required.6
North Carolina	June 1, 2025 (UNC System). Aug. 15, 2025 (Community Colleges).	Deadlines vary by institution type.8
North Dakota	ASAP after FAFSA opens.	Awards are made until funds are depleted.8
Ohio	Oct. 1, 2025.
Oklahoma	Check with financial aid administrator.
Oregon	ASAP after FAFSA opens.	Oregon Opportunity Grant is first-come, first-served.8
Pennsylvania	May 1, 2025 (most applicants). Aug. 1, 2025 (some 2-year/technical programs).	Check specific program for correct deadline.6
Rhode Island	Check with financial aid administrator.
South Carolina	ASAP after FAFSA opens (for Need-based Grants). Aug. 1, 2025 (for Tuition Grants).	Need-based grants are first-come, first-served.6
South Dakota	Check with financial aid administrator.
Tennessee	March 15, 2025 (TN Promise). Sept. 1, 2025 (State Lottery – Fall).	Multiple deadlines for different programs and terms.6
Texas	Feb. 15, 2025 (priority for 2025-26 only).	Deadline extended from Jan. 15 for this year only.23
Utah	Check with financial aid administrator.
Vermont	ASAP after Dec. 31, 2024.	Awards are made until funds are depleted.8
Virginia	ASAP after Dec. 31, 2024.	Check specific institutional deadlines, which are often earlier.7
Washington	ASAP after FAFSA opens.	Awards are made until funds are depleted. WASFA available for non-FAFSA eligible students.8
West Virginia	April 15, 2025 (for WV Higher Ed Grant & WV Invests Grant). March 1, 2025 (PROMISE Scholarship).	Multiple program-specific deadlines.8
Wisconsin	Check with financial aid administrator.
Wyoming	Check with financial aid administrator.

Tier 3: Institutional Deadlines (The Most Important Date)

The final and often most important tier of deadlines is set by the colleges and universities themselves.

Institutions use the FAFSA to award their own aid, which can be the most generous portion of a student’s financial aid package.

To manage this process, they establish “priority filing deadlines”.²⁰

Students who submit their FAFSA by this date receive priority consideration for the limited pool of institutional grant and scholarship funds.

These deadlines are frequently the earliest a student must meet.

For example:

• Iowa State University has a priority deadline of February 4, 2025, for returning students.³
• The University of Arizona sets its priority deadline at March 1, 2025, for current students and April 1, 2025, for new incoming students.²⁴
• Institutions in Virginia have a wide range of deadlines, from March 1 at Christopher Newport University to July 15 at Eastern Shore Community College. Many also require a separate application, the CSS Profile, by the same date.⁷

The critical takeaway is that applicants must identify the financial aid deadlines for every single college to which they are applying.

The best practice is to create a master list of these deadlines and target the earliest one on the list to ensure no opportunity is missed.

The New FAFSA Landscape: Navigating the FAFSA Simplification Act

The 2025-2026 FAFSA does not represent a simple annual update; it operates under a new paradigm established by the FAFSA Simplification Act.

The sweeping changes that were introduced in the 2024-2025 cycle are now the standard operating procedure.

These are not minor adjustments but fundamental shifts in how financial need is calculated, how families apply, and who must participate in the process.

A. From EFC to SAI: A New Formula for Financial Need

The most significant change is the replacement of the long-standing Expected Family Contribution (EFC) with the new Student Aid Index (SAI).¹¹

This change is more than semantic; it is intended to clarify that the resulting figure is an eligibility index for aid, not a bill or a direct measure of what a family is expected to pay.¹¹

The calculation of the SAI differs from the EFC in several profound ways:

• Negative SAI is Possible: The SAI calculation can result in a negative number, with a floor of -1,500. The EFC had a floor of 0. This change allows financial aid administrators to better distinguish between students with the highest levels of financial need, although a negative SAI does not result in aid greater than the cost of attendance or a larger Pell Grant than a zero SAI.¹¹
• Separate Pell Grant Eligibility: Eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant is now determined through a separate methodology that looks at the SAI and/or a family’s Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) in relation to federal poverty guidelines for their family size.¹³ This can, in some cases, expand Pell eligibility to students who might not have qualified under the old EFC formula.
• Elimination of the “Sibling Discount”: One of the most impactful changes is the removal of the consideration for the number of family members in college from the need analysis formula. Under the old EFC calculation, the parent contribution was divided by the number of children in college simultaneously. The SAI formula no longer includes this division.¹² While the FAFSA form still asks how many household members are in college, the answer is not used in the federal need calculation.¹⁵ This change will significantly increase the SAI for many middle- and upper-middle-income families with multiple children in college at the same time, likely reducing their eligibility for need-based aid.
• Changes in Asset and Income Reporting: The new rules have altered what is considered and how it is reported. Child support received is no longer counted as untaxed income; it is now included in the asset calculation.¹² Additionally, the net worth of family-owned small businesses (with fewer than 100 employees) and family farms, which were previously excluded from the asset calculation, must now be reported.¹³

B. Assembling Your Team: The Role of “Contributors”

The FAFSA Simplification Act introduced the new term “Contributor,” which refers to anyone required to provide information, consent, and a signature on the FAFSA.¹¹

This includes the student, the student’s spouse (if married), and for dependent students, one or both parents.

• Determining the Parent Contributor: The rule for determining which parent must be a contributor has changed for dependent students whose parents are divorced or separated. The parent who provides the most financial support to the student over the past 12 months is now the required contributor, regardless of which parent the student lived with more.¹² If that parent is remarried, the stepparent’s information is also required. To assist with this often-complex determination, the Department of Education provides a “Who’s My FAFSA Parent?” wizard tool on the StudentAid.gov website.¹⁸
• The Contributor Process: The application process begins with the student, who then invites the necessary contributors to complete their respective sections of the FAFSA via email.¹³ Each contributor, including each parent,
  must have their own separate StudentAid.gov account (commonly known as an FSA ID) to access the form, provide their information, and give their electronic signature.¹⁰ It is crucial to create these accounts at least three days in advance, as the identity verification process can take time.¹²
• Information Privacy: The system is designed to protect privacy. Contributors cannot see the financial information provided by other contributors. For example, a student cannot see their parents’ financial data, and parents cannot see the student’s asset information.¹³

C. The Digital Handshake: Mandatory Consent and the IRS Direct Data Exchange (DDX)

A cornerstone of the simplified FAFSA is the direct, secure transfer of tax information from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to the FAFSA form.

This process, known as the IRS Direct Data Exchange (DDX), has replaced the previous IRS Data Retrieval Tool.¹¹

• Non-Negotiable Consent: To enable this data transfer, every contributor must provide their consent and approval within the FAFSA form.¹⁴ This is not an optional step.
• Universal Requirement: This consent is mandatory for all contributors, even if they did not file a U.S. tax return, had no income, filed a tax return in a foreign country, or are non-citizens without a Social Security Number.¹⁰
• The Ultimate Consequence of Refusal: The stakes for this step are absolute. If any single contributor on the FAFSA form declines to provide consent, the form can still be submitted, but an SAI will not be calculated. As a result, the student will be immediately and automatically ineligible for all forms of federal student aid, including Pell Grants, work-study, and all federal loans.¹³

The shift to this new paradigm has made the FAFSA system, in some ways, more “brittle.” While the surface experience is simpler due to a reduced question count, the process now has rigid, automated failure points.

The previous system, though cumbersome with its manual data entry, allowed for more flexibility and workarounds.

The new system’s strict reliance on a chain of automated processes—a verified FSA ID for every individual, a successful contributor invitation, and universal, non-negotiable consent for the DDX—means that a single failure in the chain can halt the entire application.

A parent unable to verify their identity to create an FSA ID, or one who misunderstands and refuses consent, can completely derail a student’s aid eligibility with no simple recourse.

This transforms the primary challenge for families from one of tedious data entry to one of careful, multi-person project management.

D. Other Key Changes and Continuations

• Streamlined Application: The most celebrated feature of the new FAFSA is its brevity. Thanks to the direct import of tax data via the DDX, the number of questions has been dramatically reduced from over 100 to as few as 46, with many students seeing even fewer depending on their circumstances.¹¹
• Expanded College List: Students can now list up to 20 colleges and universities on their FAFSA form to receive their information, a significant increase from the previous limit of 10.¹¹
• Modification to Demographic Question: The Department of Education has announced that for the 2025-26 FAFSA, the question regarding “gender” will be modified to collect data on an applicant’s “sex,” with “male” and “female” as the options. The “nonbinary” option has been removed from the form.¹⁹ These demographic questions, including those about race and ethnicity, are used for statistical purposes only and have no bearing on federal student aid eligibility.¹¹

Preparing for the 2025-2026 FAFSA: A Documentation and Information Checklist

A smooth and accurate FAFSA submission begins with thorough preparation.

Attempting to complete the application without having all the necessary information and accounts in place can lead to frustration, errors, and critical delays.

The following guide outlines the essential items to gather before logging in to FAFSA.Gov.

A. Using 2023 Tax Data and Handling Financial Changes

As established, the 2025-2026 FAFSA requires the use of 2023 income and tax information.⁹

Even with the automated IRS DDX, all contributors should have their 2023 federal tax returns (e.g., IRS Form 1040) available for reference.

The DDX imports many key figures, but some questions may still require manual input or verification against the tax return itself.¹⁰

A family’s financial situation can change dramatically in the two years between the required tax year and the academic year.

If a family has experienced a significant change in income since 2023—such as a job loss, pay cut, disability, or unusually high medical expenses—they must follow a specific process:

1. Complete the FAFSA as required, using the 2023 tax and income data.⁹
2. After the FAFSA has been submitted and processed, immediately contact the financial aid office at each college the student is considering.
3. Request a “professional judgment” review (sometimes called a special circumstances appeal) and be prepared to provide extensive documentation of the financial change.¹⁰

Financial aid administrators have the authority to adjust a student’s FAFSA data to reflect their current financial reality, which can have a significant impact on their aid eligibility.

B. The FAFSA Preparation Checklist

The following table serves as a comprehensive checklist to ensure all parties have the required information ready before starting the application.

This organized approach can transform a potentially confusing scramble into a manageable task.

Information / Document	Who Needs to Provide It?	Key Details & Notes
StudentAid.gov Account (FSA ID)	Student & All Contributors (e.g., Parent(s), Spouse)	Must be created and verified at least 3 days in advance. Required to access the form, provide consent, and sign electronically. This is the first and most critical preparation step.13
Contributor Personal Information	Student (to invite contributors)	Full legal name (as it appears on Social Security card), date of birth, Social Security Number (SSN) if they have one, and a valid email address for each contributor.10
2023 Federal Income Tax Returns	Student & All Tax-Filing Contributors	IRS Form 1040 and any relevant schedules. Needed for reference, even with the mandatory IRS DDX, to answer specific questions or verify data.9
Records of Child Support Received	Student & Parent Contributors	The total amount of child support received in the 2023 calendar year. This is now reported as an asset, not untaxed income.13
Current Asset Records (Cash, Savings, Checking)	Student & All Contributors	The total current balance of all cash, savings, and checking accounts as of the day you sign and submit the FAFSA. This is not the 2023 balance.10
Current Asset Records (Investments, Business, Farm)	Student & All Contributors	The current net worth of investments (real estate other than the primary home, stocks, bonds, 529 plans owned by the parent for the student, etc.) and the net worth of businesses and/or investment farms as of the day you file.26 Retirement plans (401k, IRA) are not reported.26
Records of Untaxed Income	Student & All Contributors	Information on other untaxed income from 2023 may be needed, such as disability benefits or workers’ compensation. The DDX handles most income items.28
List of Schools for Consideration	Student	The federal school code for each college the student wants to receive their FAFSA results. Up to 20 schools can be listed.11

Strategic Recommendations and Conclusion

The landscape of federal student aid application has been fundamentally altered.

While the goal of the FAFSA Simplification Act was to make the process easier, its implementation has introduced new complexities and high-stakes requirements.

Success in this new environment requires a strategic, proactive, and organized approach.

The Prime Directive: File Early, File Accurately. The single most important factor in maximizing a financial aid award is submitting a complete and accurate FAFSA as early as possible.

This is not merely about meeting the final federal deadline but about positioning the student for consideration in the limited, first-come, first-served funding pools offered by states and institutions.

Identify the earliest priority deadline among all target schools and states, and make that date the absolute goal.

Master the Contributor Process. The new contributor-based system is the most significant procedural hurdle.

All families should create the necessary StudentAid.gov accounts (FSA IDs) for every contributor well in advance of starting the FAFSA.

The student should then communicate clearly with each contributor about the process, the timeline, the importance of their participation, and the mandatory, non-negotiable nature of providing consent for the IRS data exchange.

Embrace the IRS Direct Data Exchange (DDX). It is essential to understand that providing consent for the DDX is not optional—it is a prerequisite for federal aid eligibility.

All contributors must be prepared to provide this consent, regardless of their tax filing status.

Refusal by even one contributor will render the student ineligible for aid.

Understand Your Student Aid Index (SAI). After the FAFSA is processed, the student will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary which contains the calculated SAI.

Families should review this number.

If it seems unexpectedly high, especially for families with multiple children in college who are affected by the removal of the sibling discount, it is important to understand its implications.

If the SAI does not reflect a family’s current financial reality due to a recent job loss or other special circumstance, this is the trigger to begin the professional judgment appeal process with college financial aid offices.

Proactively Communicate with Financial Aid Offices. The role of the college financial aid office is more critical than ever.

Do not wait for them to initiate contact.

If there are special circumstances to report, questions about the contributor process, or confusion about a financial aid offer, reach out to them directly.

They are the ultimate arbiters of institutional aid and the facilitators of any professional judgment reviews.

In conclusion, the FAFSA, despite its intended “simplification,” remains a complex and critical process.

The primary challenge for families has shifted from one of tedious data entry to one of careful process and project management.

The new system is less forgiving of procedural errors but more streamlined when all components align correctly.

By understanding the new rules of the road, respecting the strict hierarchy of deadlines, preparing all documentation meticulously, and managing the multi-person contributor process proactively, students and families can successfully navigate the 2025-2026 FAFSA.

This form is not merely a bureaucratic obstacle; it remains the single most important gateway to accessing the financial resources necessary to make higher education an attainable reality.

Works cited

1. FAFSA Deadlines – BYU Enrollment Services, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://enrollment.byu.edu/fafsa-deadlines
2. What is the deadline for submitting the 2025–26 FAFSA® form …, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/article/deadline-submitting-2025-26-fafsa-form
3. Current Undergraduate Students – Office of Student Financial Aid, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://financialaid.iastate.edu/applying-for-aid/current-undergrad/
4. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) | USAGov, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://www.usa.gov/fafsa
5. Review Deadlines | Georgia Student Finance Commission – GAfutures, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://www.gafutures.org/college-planning/college-money-matters/applying-for-aid/review-deadlines/
6. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/2025-26-fafsa.pdf
7. Financial Aid Deadlines | Virginia State Council Of Higher Education, VA, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://www.schev.edu/financial-aid/financial-aid-deadlines
8. 2025-26 Financial Aid and FAFSA State Deadlines | Fastweb, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/financial-aid-and-fafsa-state-deadlines
9. Why do I have to submit my 2023 tax and income information on my 2025–26 FAFSA® form? | Federal Student Aid, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://studentaid.gov/2526/help/why-tax-info
10. 6 Things Students Need Before they Fill out the 2025-2026 FAFSA. – The Citadel, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://www.citadel.edu/financial-aid/2024/11/6-things-students-need-before-they-fill-out-the-2025-2026-fafsa/
11. FAFSA Changes – Bridgevalley.edu, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://www.bridgevalley.edu/financial-aid/fafsa-updates.html
12. Understanding FAFSA for the 2025-2026 school year – Citizens Bank, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://www.citizensbank.com/learning/key-fafsa-changes.aspx
13. FAFSA Simplification | The Office of Financial Aid at UTD, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://finaid.utdallas.edu/fafsa-simplification/
14. Consent and Approval To Retrieve and Disclose Federal Tax Information (2025–26), accessed on August 13, 2025, https://studentaid.gov/2526/help/consent-federal-tax-info
15. FAFSA Simplification Act – Emerson College, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://emerson.edu/departments/financial-aid/fafsa-simplification-act
16. Apply for Financial Aid – Federal Student Aid, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid
17. Where To Find My 2023 Tax Information (2025–26) | Federal Student Aid, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://studentaid.gov/2526/help/find-tax-information
18. 2025-26 FAFSA Roadmap | Knowledge Center – FSA Partner Connect, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/topics/fafsa-simplification-information/2025-26-fafsa-roadmap
19. U.S. Department of Education Announces Improvements to the FAFSA® Form, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-announces-improvements-fafsar-form
20. Student Guide to FAFSA Deadlines 2025-26 | Goodwin University, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://www.goodwin.edu/enews/fafsa-deadlines/
21. State Systems & Financial Aid Information – National College Attainment Network, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://www.ncan.org/page/state-fin-aid-deadlines
22. How to Apply for Financial Aid – California Student Aid Commission – CA.gov, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://www.csac.ca.gov/apply
23. TASFA – Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://www.highered.texas.gov/students-families/tasfa/
24. Important Dates and Deadlines | Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://financialaid.arizona.edu/resources/deadlines
25. FAFSA Updates | Federal Student Aid – Financial Aid Toolkit, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://financialaidtoolkit.ed.gov/tk/learn/fafsa/updates.jsp
26. 6 Things Students Need Before They Fill Out the FAFSA® Form, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://studentaid.gov/articles/things-you-need-for-fafsa/
27. FAFSA® Help | Federal Student Aid, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out/help
28. What information will I need to fill out a FAFSA® form? | Federal Student Aid, accessed on August 13, 2025, https://studentaid.gov/help/info-needed