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FAFSA for 2026-27 Is Now Open: What IUSD Families Need to Know

FAFSA Information with coin icons
Allison Torres

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2026-27 school year is officially open and comes with a few updates. 

Completing the FAFSA form allows you to be considered for federal student aid. In addition, states and colleges use FAFSA information to award their own grants, scholarships and loans, so be sure to submit your form by June 30, 2026!

New Updates for the 2026-27 FAFSA

This year’s FAFSA continues to incorporate changes from the federal FAFSA simplification law, which aims to make the application more user-friendly and transparent. Families will notice a more streamlined form, improved guidance for parents and clearer navigation tools to help ensure accurate completion.

Students and parents who need to sign the form electronically must have an FSA ID. Families who have not yet created one, or whose information needs updating, are encouraged to do so as soon as possible to avoid delays in submitting the application.

Although the federal deadline to submit the 2025-26 FAFSA is June 30, 2027, many colleges and state aid programs operate on much earlier . The California priority deadline is March 2, 2026. California students seeking state grants, including the Cal Grant, are encouraged to file early.

Common FAFSA Issues & Fixes

According to our partner organization, AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), the following are the most common issues, with solutions, for families when going through the FAFSA process. 

Issue

Fix

Contributor invites do not arrive in email

  • Make sure information on the screen matches exactly, no blank spaces
  • If the parent starts the form and invites the student, it works better. May need to delete and restart.

No verification code received when setting up accounts

  • If email ends in .net, this is a know issue. Create a .com email, such as Gmail, to use with FAFSA

If error message says that SSN is already associated with an account

  • Call the FSA Help Line and request a reset: 
    1-800-433-3243

FSA ID not confirmed

  • Do not use immediately after creating account. Create your account, then come back later.
  • Do an easy edit (e.g., change St. to Street) and then resubmit the FSA ID

IssueFix

Issues with tax information, W-2s

  • May need to provide tax transcripts from the IRS.

Calculating Business or Farm Value

  • Some business have no value (e.g., driver or delivery service)
  • If reporting a value for a business or farm, subtract all debt owed first
  • Families might need to see a professional to valuate their business or farm

ITIN Filers Must Manually Provide Tax and Income Information

  • Never send original documents to colleges, only send copies.

Known Issues

  • Follow the for new resolutions to known issues

IssueFix

Student signs FASFA, but after parent signs, it says the student hasn’t signed

  • Before submitting, make sure everyone has signed. Student may need to log back in and sign again.

Providing Consent

  • ALL contributors must provide consent. Without consent, the form will not submit.

Missing Student Aid Index (SAI)

  • Possible errors include missing signature, missing family size. Edit those fields and save again.
  • Call colleges to see if they are also missing the SAI.

Changes to SAI from prior year FAFSA. Some families reporting increase in index without increase in income

  • Check income, assets, and family size on tax forms, FAFSA. Call college FinAid office for explanation.

Financial Aid Night on December 3

To support families through the financial aid process, IUSD, in partnership with Irvine Valley College, will host a virtual Financial Aid Night on:

  • Date: Tuesday, December 3
  • Time: 5:30-6:30 p.m.
  • Location: Via Zoom (A Zoom link will be sent to those who pre-register)

The session will walk families through the FAFSA, outline the documents needed, explain recent changes, and provide space for questions.


 

CaliforniaColleges.edu Makes it Simple

Seniors are encouraged to access the FAFSA through, the official platform for California students.

is your one-stop shop for completing the FAFSA. It simplifies access to important resources, keeps your application organized, and helps ensure you meet all deadlines.

Completing the FAFSA is a critical step in securing financial aid for college. Visit  to begin your application.

For more financial aid, scholarship and student opportunity information, visit the IUSD Financial Aid webpage. 
 

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