Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) automatically allows you to be considered for federal, state and university financial aid programs. Filling out the FAFSA is free.
All students must apply or reapply for financial aid every year.
To be given the greatest consideration for financial aid programs, you should complete the FAFSA before UCF’s established priority filing date. Some programs are first-come, first-served, so be sure to apply early to avoid losing out on potential funding opportunities.
The FAFSA application takes less than an hour to complete for first-time filers. The FAFSA renewal process can be completed in 10 minutes.
About 24-48 hours after you submit your FAFSA application, you’ll receive what’s called a FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) outlining different types of federal aid that you’re eligible for.
FAFSA General Overview
Ready to begin the FAFSA?
Before you start, it’s important to gather some financial information. Make sure you have access to the following items for yourself and your parents:
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W-2 forms
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Tax returns
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Records of untaxed income and benefits
If you’re not ready to apply for federal student aid, but you’d like to estimate your aid, check out FAFSA4caster. The FAFSA4caster is an early eligibility estimator that can help you plan ahead when it comes to paying for college.
UCF School Code:
003954
UCF’s Priority Date for FAFSA:
February 15
Prior-Prior Tax Year
Recent changes have been made to simplify the FAFSA, allowing some flexibility with the tax information that is required. Students and their families can report tax income information from an earlier tax year, rather than just the prior tax year.
This change allows students to report tax information from a prior-prior tax year (PPY), which means tax information from two years ago. It also allows students and their families to fill out the FAFSA form in a timely manner in order to have their financial aid packages before making college decisions.
Benefits of using prior-prior tax year info:
- File earlier. Students can file the FAFSA as early as October 1, instead of beginning on January 1.
- Be better aligned with the college application calendar.
- Receive financial aid information further in advance of college decision deadlines.
- Increase the ability to make well-informed college and financial aid decisions.
| When a student is attending college | When a student can submit a FAFSA | Which year’s income and tax information is required |
|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 | Oct. 1, 2022 – June 30, 2024 | 2021 |
| July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025 | December 2023 – June 30, 2025 | 2022 |
| July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026 | December 2024 – June 30, 2026 | 2023 |
Marital status when completing the FAFSA
The FAFSA asks for marital status as of the day the FAFSA is filled out.
If married now but not in 2022 (and therefore didn’t file taxes as married), you will need to add your spouse’s income to your FAFSA. Similarly, if you filed your 2022 taxes as married but you’re no longer married when you fill out the FAFSA, you’ll need to subtract your spouse’s income.
FAFSA Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you must apply each year. The priority date for the 2025-2026 FAFSA is February 15th. FAFSA applications are available starting in December for the upcoming year.
The FAFSA can be completed online. If you plan to apply for aid for the summer term, also complete the FAFSA for the current year. It is recommended that you do this by early to meet UCF’s priority application date of February 15. UCF’s school code is 003954.
It will be sent to you via email if you completed the FAFSA online. If not, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED AID (1-800-433-3243).
Corrections to the FAFSA can be made by logging onto FAFSA.gov using your FSA ID and password.
The FAFSA will ask for older income and tax information, students will already have completed taxes by the time of FAFSA filing (October 1st) and won’t need to estimate tax information.
Taxes are completed before FAFSA filing time (October 1st).
With the FAFSA available earlier, students may feel less pressure and have more time to explore and understand financial aid options then apply for aid before state and school deadlines.