Grades
Selection
Admission
The FAFSA uses tax data from two years before enrolment. A student entering college in autumn 2027 files the 2027-28 FAFSA, which uses 2025 tax returns.
Filing in April instead of February has consequences that compound:
The FAFSA imports figures directly from the IRS, which removes most manual-entry errors and is the fastest route through verification. It only works once the return has been processed — typically two to three weeks after e-filing. That processing window is the real reason to file in February rather than April.
The 2025 return will not reflect a job loss, reduced hours, a divorce, a death, or large medical costs since. File the FAFSA with the 2025 figures anyway, then file a professional judgement request with each college's financial aid office, in writing and with documentation. Aid officers have genuine discretion and use it — but only when asked.
File the FAFSA with estimated figures rather than missing the deadline, then correct it once the return is processed. A FAFSA filed late is worth less than a FAFSA corrected late.
Create a free account to track all 243 admission tasks with personalized deadlines for Senior Year.
Or browse the full admissions timeline