The FAFSA is now available for students to begin filling out, more than a week ahead of its expected release date of December 1. While the challenges from last year will hopefully be lessened as the Department of Education tries to work out the reported glitches from the previous cycle, we still anticipate some challenges may arise once again. To help prepare, please review the information below for the most up-to-date details on this year’s FAFSA and check out the Federal Student Aid website for any additional updates as they arise.

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• At this time, the planned priority deadline to submit the FAFSA is Monday, March 3, 2025.

• The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) is encouraging mixed-status families to complete a CADAA by March 3 to be considered on-time for state grants.

• Students can start completing the 2025–26 FAFSA form. Please encourage them to get started using these tips.

  • Create a StudentAid.gov account (if they don’t already have one).

  • Learn about the documents they may need to fill out the FAFSA form.

  • Determine dependency status and whether their parent(s) or spouse will be required to contribute information on your FAFSA form.

  • If they are a dependent student, they can use the Who’s My FAFSA Parent? wizard to identify which parent(s) will be a required contributor on their form.