How often do you need to fill out the fafsa in order to apply for federal student loans?

In order to remain eligible for financial aid, you need to resubmit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for every year you’re enrolled in school. However, it’s not necessary to reapply every semester — your yearly application will cover both semesters.

When to reapply for the FAFSA

You’ll need to reapply every year at the opening of the FAFSA for that academic year. The form opens up on Oct. 1 of each year and stays open through June 30 of the FAFSA’s award year. In other words, if you’re going to be attending school during the 2023-24 school year, you may apply anytime between Oct. 1, 2022, and June 30, 2024.

With that said, even if you don’t need money until later in the school year, it’s important to reapply or renew as soon as you can and not wait until the deadline, as some forms of aid are first come, first served.

Pay attention to state and school FAFSA requirements as well, as they may all have different deadlines. Even if you’re not starting school until the spring semester, apply as early as possible to maximize aid potential.

Renewing your FAFSA

Renewing your FAFSA is less time-consuming than completely reapplying, as you won’t have to manually reenter all of your information. If you need to update income or personal information, you have the option to simply edit the previous application details.

What about summer school or school transfers?

If you need financial aid for summer school, contact your school’s financial aid office to see which year’s FAFSA you need to complete — particularly if your classes cross the June 30 FAFSA deadline.

If you anticipate transferring schools for your second semester, it’s equally as important to talk to your school’s financial aid office and list any potential second-semester schools on your FAFSA renewal.

What to do if you miss a deadline

If you miss the official FAFSA deadline, you’ll have to wait until the following academic year to gain access to federal aid. However, if you miss a college deadline, reach out to the financial aid office to see what you can do. While not every school is flexible, there are some schools that may offer aid past the deadline if you explain your situation.

If you miss a state deadline, submit your FAFSA as soon as possible, then reach out to your state’s financial aid agency to ask about what your options are. There’s a possibility that you still could be awarded aid, but as with college deadlines, there’s a good chance that you’ll have to wait until the next academic year to receive aid.

What to do if you make a mistake on your FAFSA renewal

Mistakes happen all the time; maybe you entered the wrong school or listed an old address. If that happens, don’t fret. You can make corrections to some details on your FAFSA form, though there is a deadline.

If you’re applying for aid for the 2023-24 academic year, you’ll have until Sept. 14, 2024, to make any changes. You can do this online by logging into your FSA account and clicking “Make FAFSA corrections” on the “My FAFSA” page.

You can also print your Student Aid Report (SAR) and write the changes directly into the paper, sign the form and send it by mail to the address listed on your SAR.

Keep in mind, though, that making changes to your FAFSA will delay its processing time, which could cause you to miss important deadlines regarding institutional aid. That’s why you should contact your school’s financial aid office prior to making any changes so it can work with you individually.

When are funds disbursed?

While you will apply for funding for both semesters with a single application, you won’t receive all of your funds at once. Most schools disburse funds every quarter or semester. If you’re eligible for funds for your second semester of school, you should receive them within a few weeks of the start of term.

The bottom line

You need to renew your FAFSA only once a year, but mark your calendar for Oct. 1 and renew your application as soon as you can. Also keep the federal, state and college deadlines in mind as you renew or reapply for the FAFSA. If you miss a deadline, you risk not being eligible for financial aid for the upcoming academic year. However, there are other options available that can help lower the cost of school if you happen to miss a deadline, such as private student loans, scholarships and nonfederal grants.

You have to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, for each school year to qualify for aid like grants, scholarships, federal work-study and federal student loans.

But deadlines vary for federal, state and institutional aid. The two most important dates you need to remember are Oct. 1 and June 30.

FAFSA open date and deadline

File your FAFSA for next year close to October 1

Each year, the FAFSA opens on Oct. 1. File your FAFSA as close to Oct. 1 as possible to improve your chances of qualifying for the most grant, scholarship and work-study aid. Applications began being accepted for the 2023-24 school year on Oct. 1, 2022.

Certain aid is awarded to students who apply the earliest, such as federal work-study dollars and many state and institutional grants and scholarships.

File your FAFSA for last year by June 30

The federal government gives students a deadline of June 30 after the school year in which they need aid — for instance, June 30, 2023, for the 2022-23 school year or June 30, 2024, for the 2023-24 school year — to file the FAFSA.

But you have to submit the form much earlier to meet financial aid deadlines for your state and college and to get your aid dollars in time for the start of the school year.

You only have to file the FAFSA once to be eligible for all three types of aid. Here’s what you need to know about each.

State and institutional FAFSA deadlines

States and individual colleges set their own FAFSA deadlines that are typically much earlier than the federal one. You have to file your application by these deadlines to qualify for state and institutional grants and scholarships.

If you’re attending an out-of-state school, you may not qualify for state aid — check with the state to see if you do. Find your state financial aid deadline on the Federal Student Aid website.

Federal FAFSA deadline

The federal deadline is your last chance to submit the FAFSA each year. If you need financial aid for the 2023-24 school year, you can submit the form until June 30, 2024.

Work-study dollars and most state and institutional aid will run out the fastest, but there will still be time to qualify for federal grants and student loans.

Even if you wait until June 30, you can receive these grants and loans retroactively to cover what you’ve already paid for the spring and fall semester. Or, depending on your school, you may be able to apply the funds to pay for 2023 summer school.

Frequently asked questions

The FAFSA opens on Oct. 1 each year.

Apply for the FAFSA as soon as possible after it opens. Applying early gives you the best chance at getting the most free money for school.

When is FAFSA due for fall 2021?

The FAFSA for the 2021-22 school year is due June 30, 2022. Corrections are due Sept. 11, 2022.

Should you apply for FAFSA before applying to college?

Yes, apply for the FAFSA as soon as it opens, even if that's before you have applied or been accepted to any colleges. When you initially fill out the FAFSA, you only have to list one of the colleges you're considering applying to but it is best to include all the colleges you are considering so you don't miss out on any financial aid. You will be able to add colleges later on as well.

Next steps

Track colleges’ financial aid deadlines. Priority deadlines at individual schools often fall the earliest, so those deadlines are the most important to track. Those dates are also the best chance to get the most aid. Look up the deadlines for all of the schools you’re applying to and write them down in one place — try using your phone’s calendar, a spreadsheet or a notebook dedicated to your college search.

Submit any other financial aid applications. Many schools require additional or alternative financial aid applications, such as the CSS Profile, to qualify for state or institutional aid. You'll need to submit all the required paperwork before the deadline to be considered for aid.

Above all, remember Oct. 1. It’s not a deadline, but if you submit your FAFSA soon after that day, you’ll cover all your bases.

You can make changes to the FAFSA after you've applied. If you spot an error or you need more aid due to a change in your family's finances, you can update the FAFSA. Sign in to fafsa.ed.gov then on the “My FAFSA” page, click on “Make FAFSA Corrections,” enter your FSA ID, change the information and resubmit your application.