Students no longer have to wait until January 1 to apply for FAFSA ( Free Application for Federal Student Aid ). The FAFSA opened three months early this year on October 1.
An announcement was made on the FAFSA website. Details about the early filing can be found on a “fact sheet” linked from the website.
The new date does not affect federal deadlines, although state and school deadlines have different restrictions. Current and prospective students can take advantage of the extended application by renewing their 2016-2017 FAFSA with the requested 2015 tax information.
Filling out the application is the first step toward completing all of the necessary items for college. There is a process beyond the application that takes a significant amount of time.
Starting the application in October means that students can receive early estimates for 2017-2018 financial aid. There is also the possibility of receiving early offers from colleges because of this new date.