How to Avoid Common FAFSA Errors

May 05, 2025 | By: Ascent
Categories: Blog, For Parents and Cosigners, For Students

serious mom and teen daughter sit at kitchen table with laptop to correct FAFSA errors

Does the thought of completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) give you a headache?

You’re not alone. Millions of students complete this federal form each year, navigating deadlines, account creation, and document requirements along the way. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but skipping the FAFSA or making a mistake on the form could cause you to miss out on financial aid.

Familiarizing yourself with the ins and outs of the FAFSA application process—and submitting your application early—can ensure you maximize the aid you are eligible for. This guide explores some of the common FAFSA errors and tips to help you avoid mistakes or delays in the application process.

Key Takeaways

Skipping the FAFSA entirely could cause you to miss out on valuable financial aid. Any student can fill out the FAFSA, regardless of income, so fill it out even if you don’t think you qualify.
Complete the FAFSA as early as possible to avoid missing critical school- and state-specific deadlines. This also increases your chances of securing first-come, first-serve aid.
FAFSA errors can delay your application status or impact the amount of aid you qualify for. Make sure your information is accurate and double-check your application details carefully before submitting.
You can correct information on the FAFSA after your form has been processed if you make a mistake, or if your financial circumstances change.

1. Skipping the FAFSA Entirely

Unsurprisingly, one of the costliest FAFSA errors is not filling it out at all. Many students or families assume they won’t qualify for financial aid due to income or other factors, but that’s a big mistake. Each year, billions of dollars in federal aid go unclaimed, including over $4 bi l lion in Pell Grants alone.

Even if you don’t qualify for need-based financial aid, the FAFSA is often a requirement for scholarships, work-study programs, and low-interest student loans. Don’t miss out. Confirm your FAFSA eligibility and apply, even if you don’t know how much aid you might qualify for.

2. Completing the Wrong Year

It’s easy to fill out the wrong year’s FAFSA by mistake, especially when multiple versions are available online. Double-check that you’re completing the form for the correct academic year. The FAFSA typically opens on October 1 each year, although it has been delayed in the past.

3. Missing the FAFSA Deadline

Missing the FAFSA deadline is an easy way to miss out on financial aid. The federal deadline typically falls on June 30 of the academic year, but states and schools often have significantly earlier cutoffs. In addition, corrections or updates must be submitted by 11:59 CT on September 12.

Check with your state and school’s financial aid office for the specific deadlines relevant to your circumstances.

4. Failing to File Early

While it may seem there’s plenty of time to meet these deadlines, failing to file the FAFSA early can cost you. Waiting to apply can lead you to miss out on first-come, first-served aid, such as work-study opportunities, state grants, or institutional scholarships.

Not only does filing early give you the best chance of maximizing your financial aid opportunities, filing the FAFSA early can give you more time to compare the aid packages offered by different colleges. It can also provide extra time to pursue supplemental forms of financial aid, like private student loans, if needed.

5. Using the Wrong Tax Information

One of the more technical—but critical—FAFSA errors is entering the wrong tax details on the form. Your dependency status will determine whose tax information is needed on the form, regardless of who will be paying the tuition. If you are a dependent, this tax information will likely come from your parents. Verify whose information is required to avoid this common FAFSA error.

The FAFSA requires tax data from two years before the start of the academic year. For example, if you’re applying for financial aid for the 2025-2026 school year, you’ll need to provide tax information from 2023.

Using figures from the wrong year could delay processing or, even worse, reduce aid eligibility. Some of the required details include:

Filing status
Income Tax Paid
Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)
Income Earned from Work
Tax-Exempt Interest
Education Credits

Using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) is one of the easiest and most accurate ways to input your tax information, and eligible users can also securely import their tax data directly from the IRS DRT into the FAFSA.

6. Misunderstanding Dependency Status

Unfortunately, many students assume that being financially independent means independent status for the FAFSA, but that’s not always the case. The FAFSA uses specific criteria to determine whether you’re dependent or independent, including:

Age
Marital status
Military service
Legal guardianship

Most undergraduate students are classified as dependent and must report their parents’ financial information. If you believe you should be considered independent, consult the FAFSA dependency guidelines or contact your school’s financial aid office for clarification.

7. Entering the Wrong Personal Data

In addition to knowing whose tax information to use, you’ll want to double-check the accuracy of basic details like Social Security number, date of birth, and even the legal names of all required parties. Even small errors, like using nicknames instead of legal ones, can lead to avoidable headaches.

8. Delaying While Deciding on a School

You may think you need to put off the FAFSA until you make a final decision about which school to attend, but you don’t actually have to wait. If you’re undecided, you should still submit the FAFSA early and list all the schools you’re considering. You can include up to 20 schools on the form, and it’s easy to remove or add schools later through your FAFSA account.

Take your time in selecting the right school, but don’t delay your access to financial aid. After all, your chosen school can’t offer a full financial aid package without your FAFSA on file.

9. Thinking There Are Age Restrictions

Another common FAFSA error is thinking the application is only for traditional full-time students. Access to financial aid isn’t just limited to these students, although they’re the most common recipients. Non-traditional students like those working full-time and attending school part-time or those returning to school after an extended break can complete it, too.

No matter your reason or timeline for attending college, completing the FAFSA can help open a wide range of financial aid options for you.

10. Not Knowing How to Make Changes

FAFSA processing time can vary based on whether you file with an email address and sign with a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID or a physical signature page, but you will eventually receive a FAFSA Submission Summary with key details. Read this report closely to ensure the information is accurate. If not, you can make any necessary changes through the FAFSA website. You typically have until October to correct any FAFSA errors or make changes, so don’t delay.

In some cases, special financial circumstances will warrant changes after you submit your application. These circumstances can include reduced income from a pay cut, loss of employment, or newly incurred medical expenses. These situations can greatly impact your eligibility for financial aid, so make your school aware of them immediately.

Learn More with Ascent

Filing your FAFSA is just the start of your education and financial aid journey. And while paying for college is a pressing concern for many students and families, there are several forms of financial aid that can help make college more affordable. If grants and scholarships don’t cover the full cost, undergraduate loans—including private student loans from Ascent—can provide the extra support you need to pursue your education.

Ascent is committed to providing students and families with resources needed to achieve their education goals. Learn more about how to better budget, plan for college, and fund educational expenses with our student resources hub.

FAQs

What should I do if my FAFSA has an error?

If you notice an error after submitting the FAFSA, don’t panic. You can correct most mistakes by logging into FAFSA.gov and clicking “Make FAFSA Corrections.” Review your Student Aid Report (SAR) for issues and update it as soon as possible to avoid delays in aid processing.

What happens if you make a mistake on the FAFSA?

FAFSA mistakes can delay your application, reduce aid, or even render a person ineligible for some programs. Errors like incorrect income details or Social Security numbers must be corrected immediately. Most issues can be fixed online, but you can also contact your school’s financial aid office for help.

What should you do if you submit a FAFSA application and realize there’s a mistake?

Log in to your FAFSA account, correct it, and resubmit the form in a timely manner. If the mistake involves a signature, parent information, or dependency status, follow the additional instructions provided.

How do I know if I did my FAFSA correctly?

After submission, you’ll receive a confirmation email and Student Aid Report. Review it to ensure all information is accurate and complete. If anything looks off, update it immediately. You can also contact your school’s financial aid office to confirm receipt and resolve any issues.