The Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA has made a significant change to the application process beginning in 2016. For high school seniors graduating in Spring of 2016 and existing college students the application process remains the same as prior years. That means the FAFSA application for the 2016-17 school year will be available beginning January 1, 2016, and will be completed using 2015 tax data. Beginning with the 2017-18 school year, the FAFSA application will be available in October, 2016 – three months earlier – and will be based on 2015 tax information. Current high school juniors that plan to graduate in Spring of 2017 will now have access to the FAFSA beginning October 1st of their senior year of high school. Current high school seniors will input their 2015 income data into both the 2016-17 and the 2017-18 FAFSA.

The net effect of this FAFSA change is to untangle the FAFSA from the income tax return. Historically, when the FAFSA opened on January 1st the prior year income amounts were unavailable until one’s income tax return had been completed. For high school seniors, the income tax return had to be completed followed closely by the FAFSA to meet college aid application deadlines. This change backs up the FAFSA from the winter to the fall and uses prior year income data. High school seniors planning to attend college in the 2017-18 school year can complete the FAFSA in the Fall of their senior year. While it is unknown how this change will affect college financial aid decisions, one would hope the net effect would be to allow students and their families more time to make a college decision.

• Date and tax input data changes will occur to the FAFSA beginning in 2016.
• High School Seniors can complete the FAFSA in the Fall of their Senior year for the 2017-2018 school year.