FAFSA Deadline Act

FAFSA Deadline Act

This act requires the Department of Education (ED) to make the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available by October 1 of each year. (Students apply for federal student aid by completing the FAFSA.)

Under current law, ED must enable applicants to submit the and initiate the processing of submitted by January 1 of the applicant's planned year of enrollment, and to the maximum extent practicable, on or around October 1 prior to the applicant's planned year of enrollment. This act removes the January 1 flexibility and imposes a statutory deadline for release of the as October 1.

The act also requires ED to certify to Congress by September 1 whether or not the FAFSA will be ready on October 1. If the FAFSA will not be ready by October 1, then the act requires the Secretary of Education to testify to Congress on (1) the anticipated failure to meet the deadline, and (2) the financial impact on students and families.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov