One question I’m hearing from a lot of parents lately is – when will the FAFSA open, and should we apply? The financial aid process has been full of uncertainty in the last year, and unfortunately, we are not quite out of the woods yet. 
Here’s what to know about this year’s FAFSA, whether it makes sense for your family to apply, and what you can do right now – 
It’s been a rocky year in financial aid
While historically the Free Application For Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA, always reliably opened for the application season on October 1, this process changed for the first time in decades last year. Federal legislation requiring updates to the FAFSA form used to calculate financial aid and merit scholarship offers across the country led to a rushed process to change the form in 2023, a near three month delay in rolling out the application, and cascading tumult as errors, delays, revisions and recalculations prevented colleges from receiving the critical information they need to award aid to admitted students. The reality is, the process was so convoluted and error-filled last year that the disruptions are still impacting students applying this year to begin or continue college in the 2025-26 academic year. 
When will FAFSA open in 2024? 
The answer is…unsatisfying. What the Federal Student Aid Agency has announced is that the FAFSA will go live for ‘beta testing’ on October 1. The form will open October 1 to only a small group of Community Based Organizations who will test the form with several hundred students and a select few colleges to identify issues that the FSA can resolve ahead of making the form live for all students and all colleges. FSA has announced that the FAFSA will be available to all students “on or before December 1.” Hopefully, this means issues will be resolved before thousands of families begin submitting the form. 
Who should complete a FAFSA? 
The FAFSA is not just for students and families who will qualify for need based financial aid to help with the costs of college. A FAFSA must also be completed if a student is considering taking out student loans, and in some cases, is a required submission for students who wish to be considered for merit aid (aka scholarship opportunities) at their college. In addition, FAFSA forms must be submitted each year, so a student who is already in college will need to resubmit each year of college. 
To know the requirements at the colleges you are applying to, carefully review the information on the financial aid website for each college where you will submit an application. 
What you should know & do now to prepare: 
Every Student & Parent Needs an FSA ID. 
In order to complete a FAFSA, every student and ‘contributor,’ FSA’s new term for any parent or adult providing financial support, will need to create or obtain access to their already existing FSA ID. Both student and parent (contributor) need their own FSA ID to complete the form. Each individual only receives one FSA ID in their lifetime, so if a parent has completed a FAFSA form for themselves or another child since 2015, you will look up your original ID number. First time applicants and parents who have not filed a FAFSA since 2015, will need to create one. We recommend doing this right away to reduce stress and hassle when the application does open. Create or log in to your FSA ID here. 
Every Student & Contributor must provide consent to access tax information. 
The new FAFSA Form introduced last year will pull tax information directly from the IRS using an updated Direct Data Exchange (DDX) process. Even if the student, parent, or contributor did not file taxes, this permission is required for the student to qualify for financial aid. 
Review your colleges’ financial aid websites & ask your questions! 
Many students will apply to colleges before December 1. If you are unsure how the delayed FAFSA opening will impact your process in determining the costs of college and being eligible for scholarships and aid, your college is the place to access this information. Visit the financial aid websites of every college you are applying to. Carefully review their financial aid application process, any requirements to be eligible for merit scholarship consideration, and any ways that they are responding to the delay. This research can be a good place for parents to provide support while students are working away at essays and applications. If you still have questions, reach out to the financial aid office and ask. It is their job to support you in navigating the process!
TBU Advisors are experienced in supporting students to navigate their college choices and personal best fit, and TBU Essay & Application specialists are experts at supporting students to craft their most compelling, authentic work. If you’d like to explore working with a TBU Advisor, now is the time. Get in touch here and we will look forward to connecting with you. 
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