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mooremedia/Shutterstock September 14, 2022 Emma Woodward is a former contributor for Bankrate and a freelance writer who loves writing to demystify personal finance topics. She has written for companies and publications like Finch, Toast, JBD Clothiers and The Financial Diet. Chelsea has been with Bankrate since early 2020. She is invested in helping students navigate the high costs of college and breaking down the complexities of student loans. Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise
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You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. The provides your college with your personal and financial information, which your college uses to put together your financial aid package. However, mistakes can happen. If you need to update your FAFSA, you can make changes online or submit corrections via mail. In some cases, you can also contact your school to update your FAFSA for you. Reasons to make updates or corrections to your FAFSA
The FAFSA is meant to capture your financial information at the moment you submit it. There are only a few life changes that warrant an update to your FAFSA: Your financial information has changed: You can’t change your FAFSA based on new debt or a smaller savings account, but you should contact your financial aid office if your family has experienced a significant financial change like bankruptcy. You need to change your tax information: While tax information cannot be updated after submission, if you submitted a 1040X amended return after submitting your FAFSA, you should contact your school’s financial aid office. You need to correct your information: If you made a mistake in your personal information, or if your contact information or dependency status has changed, you will need to submit a correction either online or by mail. You’re applying to a new school: If you’ve decided to apply to additional schools beyond what you originally listed on your FAFSA, you can add them after the fact. How do I correct my FAFSA after submitting
If you need to make changes to your FAFSA after you have submitted it, there are a few different ways you can do so. Online
The easiest and quickest way to make changes to your FAFSA is on the . To update your form: Log in using your . Click “Make FAFSA corrections” on the “My FAFSA” page. Create a save key. Make your changes. Submit your new information. By mail
You can also submit changes by making corrections to a paper Student Aid Report (SAR) and sending it via mail. You may have received a paper SAR if you filled out a paper FAFSA and didn’t include an email. If you didn’t receive a paper copy, you can print one out from your profile online or request a copy by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 800-433-3243. Once you have a paper SAR, you can make corrections using the following steps: Write any changes on your paper SAR document. Sign the form. Mail the form to the address provided on the SAR. In some cases, you can contact your school’s financial aid office, which can make changes for you. This is typically the best option if your family income has changed drastically since you originally filed the FAFSA or if your marital status has changed. When is the deadline to correct FAFSA mistakes
The deadline to correct FAFSA mistakes is typically around three months after the federal closing date. For the 2022-23 award year, the deadline to make corrections is Sept. 9, 2023. For the 2023-24 award year, the deadline is Sept. 14, 2024. Is it bad to make corrections on the FAFSA
In most cases, it is not bad to make corrections to your FAFSA. In fact, most allowed changes will ensure that you get a financial aid package that fits your situation best. Some changes are necessary — if you submit an incorrect Social Security number or if you become pregnant, for instance, it’s important to file a correction. If you are selected for , you are also required to make corrections to your household status. However, some changes are not allowed; if you drain your savings account after starting college, for example, you cannot file a correction. Also remember that submitting your form again online will change the date your FAFSA is received and processed. This can present issues if you make changes past the FAFSA deadline for your school. Always check with your school’s financial aid office before resubmitting to avoid missing a deadline. SHARE: Emma Woodward is a former contributor for Bankrate and a freelance writer who loves writing to demystify personal finance topics. She has written for companies and publications like Finch, Toast, JBD Clothiers and The Financial Diet. Chelsea has been with Bankrate since early 2020. She is invested in helping students navigate the high costs of college and breaking down the complexities of student loans. Related Articles