
As you may have heard, the FAFSA is undergoing some changes. The FAFSA typically opens on October 1st but because of the changes the opening was delayed until December 31st. As of December 31st FAFSA has been periodically available through a soft launch. You might be wondering, what does a “soft launch” mean? Here are some things you will need to know:
Students may not be able to access the FAFSA for a period of time due to maintenance downtime in the month of January.
The FAFSA is expected to become fully available at the end of January or the beginning of February.
There will still be plenty of time to submit the FAFSA before the priority deadline.
Even though students may be able to complete the FAFSA the information will not be sent to any institution until late January, at the earliest.
Once the FAFSA is submitted, students will receive a confirmation email noting their submission date, estimated Student Aid Index (SAI), and estimated Federal Pell Grant eligibility.
Students will receive an email when their FAFSA Submission Summary is available to view online.

So, you might be wondering, what should I be doing now? My recommendation is to wait to fill out the FAFSA until early February (when the soft launch is completed). This may save you a lot of time and frustration. You will want to check the FAFSA deadline for the colleges you are applying to, most colleges have a FAFSA deadline sometime in March.
If you have any questions or would like some guidance in submitting the FAFSA feel free to reach out to me at info@atozeducationalconsulting.com or 612.735.1261.
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