Stressed out by FAFSA? Here are tips from a Missouri financial aid expert

An overhaul of the federal form that serves as a gateway for most financial aid on college campuses created significant headaches for families last year.

The headaches aren't over — a two-month delay to access the 2025-26 form has already been announced — but an expert from the Missouri College and Career Attainment Network, or MOCAN, said there is reason for optimism.

More than 13 million students rely on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, each year to access $120 billion in grants, work study, student loans and other financial aid.

Kaitlyn Venta, director of affordability for MOCAN, recently spoke to the News-Leader to offer tips for students and their parents. The network provides support for families navigating the college financial aid process.

"This past year it was very disruptive. Part of that was it opened three months late. It usually opens Oct. 1 but this past school year, it did not open until Dec. 31," Venta said. "There was no clear timeline from Federal Student Aid through that whole process ... so that was very hard for planning."

Once the form was available, there were a lot of technical issues and significant delays in getting the form processed so the information could be provided to colleges and universities.

"Usually, you fill out your FAFSA and then within a couple days the information has been sent to your college and you have a submission summary. It took months to process the forms and so students didn't get the information for a long time," Venta said. "But more importantly, colleges didn't get the data until March or April, so they were not able to create financial aid offer letters for students."

The Springfield area is home to more than 35,000 college students from August to May. They are enrolled in public and private institutions, attending in person and virtually.

Here is some information and tips from MOCAN:

When is the 2025-26 FAFSA available?

The Office of Federal Student Aid, or FSA, recently announced the FAFSA for the 2025-26 year will be delayed.

It will be released Dec. 1, two months later than it traditionally has been available.

"Federal Student Aid has announced that the form will open Dec. 1 and it will process in the normal timeline. So, yes, we're losing a couple months," Venta said.

"But, if it opens Dec. 1 fully functional, processing on time, I think we will be in a much better place this year than we were last year."

Take the time to plan ahead

With the delay, Venta urges students and their parents in the Class of 2025 — current high school seniors — to plan ahead.

"The best thing you can do this fall, both students and parents, is create what's called your Federal Student Aid ID or FSA ID. This is a log-in that you will use to access the FAFSA — all of your FAFSA data and, if you have student loans, your student loans account as well," she said.

Setting up an ID for FAFSA

To set up an FSA ID, go to www.usa.gov/fafsa .

"You'll need an email address, your birthdate and your Social Security Number. And, you've got to make sure all are correct. Don't guess someone's birthdate. Don't guess someone's Social Security Number," Venta said.

"It is also important when you set up that FSA ID that you use an email address you have permanent access to so don't use your high school email, don't use a work email, don't use your college email. Use one that you have full control over because you may need this FSA ID for many years into the future."

It is not just a student who needs an FSA ID. A parent who is uploading income information as part of a student's FAFSA must have a separate FSA ID.

There are ample resources available

MOCAN provides help, including in-person assistance, for students with questions about the FAFSA process.

To access resources through MOCAN, go to mocollegecareer.org .

"This year we did a lot of direct student support," Venta said.

"This year, we're really focused on making sure all of the counselors and advisors are really well trained so they can support students and families in completion."

The Missouri FAFSA Completion Project , under the umbrella of the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, also has online resources including a step-by-step tutorial.

Many school districts also host a FAFSA Frenzy event, part of a national effort to help families complete the federal form. They typically start after the application window opens.

Still time to file FAFSA for this year

According to MOCAN records, the number of students filling out the FAFSA form in Missouri dropped by more than 10% this year.

Students who are currently enrolled in the Fall 2024 semester or planning to attend college in early 2025 can still apply. The application window for the current year is open until June 30, 2025.

"The FAFSA cycle is long because they want to catch any students who enroll during the school year to be able to get what they need," Venta said of families who file late. "They may be ineligible for some types of funding but in terms of a Pell Grant, any time you fill that FAFSA out (before the June 30 deadline) you will be eligible for that funding."

More: MSU official: Fall enrollment has taken a hit from FAFSA troubles but 'rebound' expected

Venta said it's only high school students and others who plan to enroll during the 2025-26 year that have to wait until Dec. 1 for the new form.

She said it's important to file in a timely manner for families that want to maximize their options and check eligibility for programs like the Access Missouri Grant .

The 2025-26 FAFSA should be better

The U.S. Department of Education recently announced it will start testing the 2025-26 FAFSA form on Oct. 1 with the goal of working out any issues before it is available to everyone Dec. 1.

“We’re using the beta testing period to uncover and fix issues with the FAFSA form before the form is available to millions of students and their families,” said FAFSA Executive Advisor Jeremy Singer, in a Tuesday news release.

“During this first beta test, we’re grateful that community-based organizations are willing to work with us to support students and contributors when they encounter issues. In the end, our collective efforts will benefit all students and their families in their pursuit of higher education.”

Venta said she is optimistic the new form will be less frustrating than last year.

"When students are able to log in, parents are able to log in and complete the form, they can have it done sometimes in 15 minutes. It really can be quick," she said. "They pull so much of the tax information directly from the IRS so you're not having to type in as much financial information as you've had to in the past. When it works, it works really well. I'm really hopeful they'll get rid of the last few errors and it will be a much smoother season this year.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Stressed out by FAFSA? Here are tips from a Missouri financial aid expert