Students seeking financial aid for the 2025-26 academic year should plan to complete the FAFSA after December 1, 2024.
Normally, the FAFSA is released on October 1, but the U.S. Department of Education is delaying the release of the FAFSA to have time for more testing. The testing is aimed at avoiding some of the technical issues which occurred last year.
In the meantime, students and parents can take other steps to prepare for the FAFSA release, including setting up their account at StudentAid.gov and gathering 2023 income tax returns and other financial information.
Students and parents are encouraged to attend a financial aid event to learn more about the FAFSA. For more information about the events, visit SouthDakota.MappingYourFuture.org or contact Mapping Your Future.
