Deadlines
The	application	processing	cycle	typically	lasts	21	months,	with	the	FAFSA	form	opening	on	October	1	in	the	year	prior	to
the	start	of	the	award	year.	For	the	2025-26	application	cycle,	the	online	FAFSA	opened	for	beta	testing	to	a	limited
population	of	applicants	on	October	1,	with	the	form	expected	to	be	available	to	all	applicants	by	December	1,	2024.
Applications	will	be	accepted	through	June	30,	2026.
The	FPS	must	receive	a	student9s	online	FAFSA	information	by	June	30,	2026.	A	paper	FAFSA	form	must	be	legible,	and	it
must	be	mailed	to	the	Federal	Student	Aid	Programs	address	listed	on	the	FAFSA	form	in	time	for	the	processor	to	receive
it	by	June	30,	2026.	There	are	no	exceptions	to	these	deadlines.	An	online	application	received	after	June	30,	2026,	will
not	be	processed.
A	paper	application	received	before	the	application	opens	for	the	award	year,	or	after	June	30,	2026,	will	be	returned
unprocessed	with	a	letter	of	explanation.	If	it	is	signed	before	and	received	after	the	application	opens	for	the	award	year,
it	will	be	accepted	but	the	student	will	receive	a	rejected	FAFSA	Submission	Summary	asking	them	to	date	and	re-sign	the
FAFSA	Submission	Summary	and	return	it	for	processing.
For	other	deadlines	pertaining	to	corrections,	changes,	disbursements,	and	verification,	see	the	official	deadline	notice	for
the	2025-26	award	year.	It	will	provide	all	the	processing	deadline	dates	and	will	be	available	in	the	Knowledge	Center
under	<
Federal	Registers.=	For	these	deadlines,	the	date	the	FPS	processed	the	ISIR	transaction	is	the	date	the	institution
received	the	ISIR.	The	processed	date	is	displayed	above	the	SAI	on	the	first	page	of	the	FAFSA	Submission	Summary	and
ISIR	printout.
Students	who	submit	the	FAFSA	form	later	in	the	award	year	can	receive	aid	for	the	entire	year,	including	completed
payment	periods,	if	they	were	not	ineligible	at	the	time.	See	the	section	on	retroactive	disbursements	for	completed
periods	in	
Volume	4,	Chapter	2	of	the	FSA	Handbook.
Websites	for	students
https://studentaid.gov/4Higher	education	portal	that	contains	resources	and	information	about	paying	for
college.	The	site	includes	access	to	the	FAFSA	application,	loan	information,	counseling,	repayment,	and	other
tools	to	help	future,	current,	and	former	students	access	financial	aid.
https://studentaid.gov/fafsa4Submit	a	FAFSA	application	or	make	corrections	to	a	previously	submitted
application;	get	an	online	FAFSA	Submission	Summary;	check	status	of	an	application.
https://studentaid.gov/aid-estimator/4The	Federal	Student	Aid	Estimator	can	help	applicants	understand
their	options	to	pay	for	college	or	career	school	by	providing	an	early	estimate	of	the	SAI	and	eligibility	for	federal
student	aid.
https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch4Create	an	account	username	and	password,	which
allows	students,	FAFSA	contributors,	and	other	borrowers	access	to	the	StudentAid.gov	portal.
https://studentaid.gov/fafsa-apply/parents4Who	counts	as	a	parent	on	the	FAFSA	form?	This	tool	helps
determine	which	parent(s)	should	participate	in	a	student9s	FAFSA	form.
Resources	for	schools
2025-26	FAFSA	Specifications	Guide	3	This	guide	consolidates	all	FAFSA-related	processing	information	and
guidance	into	a	multi-volume	resource.	It	includes	the	following	volumes	and	replaces	previous	stand-alone
guides:
Volume	1	3	Summary	of	Changes	(PDF)
Volume	2	3	FPS	Schedule	and	Getting	Help	(PDF)
Volume	3	3	Electronic	Data	Exchange	and	FAFSA	Processing	(PDF)