The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) needs to be filed once every academic year. It is not required to be submitted every semester, but students must renew and submit a new FAFSA form each year to remain eligible for federal financial aid. Filing early each year, starting on or after October 1 for the following academic year, is recommended to maximize aid opportunities. The federal deadline to file FAFSA is typically June 30 of the academic year for which aid is requested. Corrections or updates can generally be made up to mid-September of that year. For example, students submit the FAFSA for the 2025–2026 academic year starting in October 2024, and must file by June 30, 2026, for that aid year. Aid is generally disbursed in installments over semesters or quarters within that academic year, but only one FAFSA form is needed per year to cover both semesters. In summary:

• File FAFSA once per academic year.
• File as soon as possible after October 1 each year.
• Federal deadline is usually June 30 of the aid year.
• FAFSA covers financial aid for both fall and spring semesters.
• Corrections allowed until about mid-September after the deadline.

This allows you to receive aid annually without needing to reapply every semester.