On Sept. 14, 2015, President Obama announced significant changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) process that will impact millions of students. Starting next year, students will be able to do the following:
- Submit a FAFSA® Earlier: 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. (There is NO CHANGE to the 2016–17 schedule, when the FAFSA will become available January 1 as in previous years.)
- Use Earlier Income Information: Beginning with the 2017–18 FAFSA, students will 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.
The following table provides a summary of key dates as we transition to using the early FAFSA submission timeframe and earlier tax information.
| When a Student Is Attending College (School Year) | When a Student Can Submit a FAFSA | Which Year’s Income Information Is Required |
|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2015–June 30, 2016 | January 1, 2015–June 30, 2016 | 2014 |
| July 1, 2016–June 30, 2017 | January 1, 2016–June 30, 2017 | 2015 |
| July 1, 2017–June 30, 2018 | October 1, 2016–June 30, 2018 | 2015 |
| July 1, 2018–June 30, 2019 | October 1, 2017–June 30, 2019 | 2016 |
If you’d like more details about the upcoming changes, you may read the following informational pieces from the U.S. Department of Education and the White House:
- FAFSA Changes fact sheet (for students)
- White House fact sheet (for the general public)
We will update this site as the 2017–18 FAFSA launch approaches. For now, there is nothing you need to do.
