Submit the FAFSA as soon as you can
To qualify for federal, state or institutional aid, you'll need to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It opens on Oct. 1 every year and stays open until June 30. You can also make corrections through Sept.
Key FAFSA deadlines
That means, if you plan on starting college in the fall of 2024, your FAFSA form will be available on October 1, 2023 and will be due on June 30, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. CT.
Some states and schools continue to award aid to FAFSA latecomers, but your chances get much slimmer, and the aid is often lower. You may still be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant. If you miss the June 30 federal deadline, you're no longer eligible to submit that year's FAFSA form.
If you don't complete the FAFSA, you won't be able to receive federal financial aid. You may also be ineligible for certain types of college scholarships and state aid. If you can't complete the FAFSA due to missing information or difficulty with the form, contact your college financial aid office for additional help.
There is no income cut-off to qualify for federal student aid. Many factors—such as the size of your family and your year in school—are considered.
If you don't submit FAFSA as an incoming freshman and an unforeseen event makes the student aid-eligible in the future, some colleges will impose a 1-year waiting period on institutional aid, and others will not offer institutional aid for any of the subsequent years in college.
Can I still get financial aid after the federal deadline? Unfortunately, once the FAFSA® closes, you won't be able to fill out the form for that academic year. Instead, you may have to find other ways to fund your post-secondary education. This underscores how important it is that you don't miss these deadlines.
The federal FAFSA deadline is June 30, but college and state deadlines are often much sooner. Jan. 31, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. Limited funding and strictly enforced deadlines are just two of the reasons students should apply for financial aid well before the FAFSA deadline.
The FAFSA deadline is at 11:59 pm Central Time (CT) on June 30 of the academic year or the end of the academic year (the last day of enrollment), whichever comes first.
Deadline: January 1, 2024 for Regular Admission*
The form typically opens in August, so you can get a head start in filling it out before regular admission is due. Most schools will have their own set of specific requirements to accompany the Common App.
The June 30th deadline isn't the only one you should be aware of. There are three types of deadlines to keep in mind: the college deadline, the state deadline, and the federal deadline. College deadlines. Some colleges have their own priority dates for submitting your FAFSA®.
Is there an age limit for receiving federal student aid? No, there's no age limit. Almost everyone is eligible for some type of federal student aid. The adult student still needs to complete the FAFSA form, and make sure not to miss any deadlines, just like any other student.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a critical step in potentially securing the funds needed to pay for college. The federal deadline for 2024 FAFSA which covers the '2023-2024 academic school year was June 30, 2024.
For most federal student loan types, after you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment, you have a six-month grace period (sometimes nine months for Perkins Loans) before you must begin making payments. This grace period gives you time to get financially settled and to select your repayment plan.
Grants and scholarships are free aid (otherwise known as “gift aid”), meaning they don't need to be paid back, making them the most sought-after options.
There's no official income cutoff to qualify for federal student aid. Yes, your family's annual income influences your aid package, but other factors, such as family size and year in school, also help determine your level of aid.
A New Opening Date—Instead of the FAFSA forms being available in October, the 2024-25 FAFSA form was scheduled to “soft launch” in December 2023. This launch began on December 30, but access was limited as glitches were monitored and fixed in real time.
Federal Deadlines
The FAFSA form must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central time (CT) on June 30, 2026. Any corrections or updates must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on Sept. 13, 2026.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is due to the federal government by June 30 each year. For example, the FAFSA for the 2024-25 college school year is due by June 30, 2025. The latest 2025-26 FAFSA is due by June 30, 2026.
Over 17.6 million FAFSA forms are completed each year, according to the Department of Education. However, some of the available money is handed out on a first come, first serve basis. So, it's a good idea to file your application sooner than later to help pay for your education.
Students have up to 45 days to challenge the return of federal aid due to a reported lack of attendance.
What income is too high for FAFSA? There is no income that is too high to file a FAFSA. No matter how much you make, you can always submit a FAFSA. Eligibility for need-based financial aid increases as the cost of attendance increases, so even a wealthy student might qualify for financial aid at a higher-cost college.
You're not making satisfactory academic progress at your school. You've defaulted on an existing federal student loan. You owe a refund on any previous federal grants. You're enrolled in an academic program that makes you ineligible for funding.
Technically, no income is too high for the FAFSA. The U.S. Department of Education recommends filling out the FAFSA yearly, regardless of income. However because FAFSA is needs-based aid, those from lower-income families with a greater financial need get access to more financial aid.