When the FAFSA’s release date was moved to Oct. 1 in 2016, the rules about which year’s tax information to use were also updated. As a result, applicants use tax information that is likely already filed. This means no waiting on your next W2 to complete or update the FAFSA! Use the chart below to find out which FAFSA and which tax year are right for you.
Click to enlarge. Information source: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out
Once the FAFSA you need is available, it can be completed online at fafsa.ed.gov.
Are you considering transferring to another college at the end of the spring semester? If so, you may need to add your new school’s college code to your FAFSA. Once the code has been added, the new school will be able to discuss your eligibility for financial aid at their institution. Follow these steps to add one or more school codes:
Search for the new college by city and state or school name, or enter the Federal School Code if you already know it.
Click “ADD”
Verify that the school is showing correctly in the Selected Schools column.
Add more schools if necessary.
Click “Submit.”
Be sure to follow up by checking your email and/or snail mail frequently and responding to any requests for materials from the school(s) you recently added.
Congratulations on taking another step to achieve your goals!
