The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) allows US Citizens and eligible noncitizens to apply for money to help pay for continuing education after high school. Some scholarship foundations also utilize the FAFSA to determine eligibility.
How to renew your FAFSA each year so you can continue to receive financial aid for school.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) allows US Citizens and eligible noncitizens to apply for money to help pay for continuing education after high school. Some scholarship foundations also utilize the FAFSA to determine eligibility.
Learn more about these different types of financial aid here.
You must have a valid social security number and meet one or more of the following criteria:
The 2025-26 application will be available to all students on or before December 1st, 2024.
TIP! Keep an eye on your school’s website and federal government updates about FAFSA.
For the 2025-26 Better FAFSA Better Future, all contributors, including yourself, parents/guardians, or spouses, must create and verify their FSA ID as a legal signature. You cannot enter information on behalf of others; instead, you will invite them to enter their details after accessing your FAFSA application. Once all contributors have their FSA ID and are invited, they can consent and enter their own information on your FAFSA application.
Contributors without SSNs will follow a separate process. Regardless of existing FSA ID status, an email address is required for this process. The key difference is that those without an SSN will check a box on the application stating they do not have one.
Tip– Although the Better FAFSA Application doesn’t open until December, you and any contributors could and should get started setting up your FSA IDs now.
Once you are logged in you will have the option to update your current FAFSA or to start a new one for the next year. Select “start a new one for the next year.” It may also appear as “2025-26 FAFSA Form Coming in December”
Example– If it is November 1, 2024 and you want to start your renewal FAFSA application for the next school year, you would choose the 2025-26 option, since classes for the next year would start in the fall of 2025.
When renewing your FAFSA, the information you previously entered for the current school year will automatically populate. This saves a lot of time! Review the information to ensure it is current and update as needed.
Reminder– Be sure the school you’re planning to attend the following year is listed on your FAFSA.
If you are a dependent, you will be require to provide additional documentation to verify your parent(s) income and other financial details.
Special Circumstances– If you have circumstances that prevent you from accessing your parent’s information, unsure if they have a Social Security Number (SSN), or other challenges, please check out this link for more support.
You and any contributor (parent/guardian, spouse) must sign and submit your portion of the application using your own separate FSA IDs.
Remember: your application isn’t complete until all contributors have given consent and completed their portion successfully. If for some reason you do not have contact or access to your parent/guardian, learn more about dependency status here.
Three weeks after you have submitted your renewal FAFSA, stop by your college’s Financial Aid Office. Ask them to check if your renewal FAFSA is showing up for them. They can let you know if everything looks good, if something is missing, or if you need to wait a little longer for it to process.
When you’re in the financial aid office, ask about scholarship opportunities through your school. Most colleges have scholarships available to current students that may not have been eligible for before.
Contact your financial aid office for additional support.
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