New deadline for college students seeking federal aid

Monday, August 15, 2016

Have a college-bound student? There are two major changes to the process for submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA.

Starting with the 2017­–18 application cycle, the following changes will be put in place:

• Students will be able to file a 2017–18 FAFSA as early as Oct. 1, 2016, rather than beginning on Jan. 1, 2017. The earlier submission date will be a permanent change, enabling students to complete and submit a FAFSA as early as October 1 every year.
• Beginning with the 2017–18 FAFSA, students will be required to report income information from an earlier tax year. For example, on the 2017–18 FAFSA, students (and parents, as appropriate) will report their 2015 income information, rather than their 2016 income information.

For more information on Federal Financial Aid, including information on how to apply, visit USA.gov.