Many ask themselves the following question: “Can I make corrections to my FAFSA?” If you submitted your FAFSA form and then realized you need to make a correction, there’s no need to worry. You can edit your FAFSA even after you submit it. This means you can correct mistakes, update information, and add or delete schools. It’s important that your FAFSA is accurate and up to date, so we’re here to walk you through any edits you need to make.
Don’t miss: Scholarships360’s free scholarship search tool
When you should make corrections to your FAFSA
You made a mistake
If you made a simple mistake (such as checking the wrong box for your citizenship status or year in college), the error could affect your financial aid eligibility. Update your information by signing into FAFSA.gov with your FSA ID (Federal Student Aid ID) and correct the mistake by following the directions outlined below.
You entered the wrong social security number
It’s critical that you triple check that information on your FAFSA before submitting. However, if you entered the wrong social security number, you can log back into your FAFSA using your FSA ID and make a correction with your proper SSN. This is one of the harder changes to make since it is such important information so you may want to contact FSA and determine if it would be easier to start a new FAFSA using your correct SSN. Remember, this changes the process date of your FAFSA. If you’ve passed your school’s priority deadline, contact the university’s financial aid office and ask their advice on how to update your FAFSA.
Related: Filling out the FAFSA without a social security number
You applied for the wrong year
Throughout most of the calendar year, the FAFSA is actually available for two academic years. If you completed the FAFSA for the wrong academic year, you’ll need to fill out a new application for the correct year. Unfortunately, you can’t simply change the year on your original application.
You need to add or delete a school
You’re allowed to add and remove schools from your FAFSA after submitting the form. Just keep in mind that you can list no more than 20 schools on the FAFSA at once. To add or delete schools, log into FAFSA.gov with your Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID. From there, you’ll be able to make updates to your list of schools.
Also see: How to add schools to the FAFSA
Your dependency status changed
Some students experience a change in dependency status between submitting their FAFSA and receiving their financial aid. You would have a different dependency status if (1) you become pregnant or become a parent, (2) you enter a legal guardianship, or (3) you’ve become an emancipated minor. If any of this applies to you, log into your FAFSA to update your information.
Changes to marital status are the exception. If you’ve married or divorced since submitting the FAFSA, contact the financial aid offices at the schools listed on your FAFSA. Remember, you’ll most likely have to provide documentation of your change to your financial aid office, so keep any copies of court papers you might receive.
You’re selected for FAFSA verification
If (and only if) you’re selected for FAFSA verification, you will receive information about questions on your FAFSA that need to be re-confirmed. A couple common examples of verification are confirming household size or citizenship status. Verification is the process your school uses to confirm that the data reported on your FAFSA form is accurate, it doesn’t mean that you did anything wrong. Some students are selected for verification randomly, while some schools verify all students’ FAFSA forms. Remember that you only need to make applicable changes if you’re selected for verification.
How to make corrections to your FAFSA
You are missing a contributor’s consent and approval
Your contributor must complete the following steps:
- Log in and go to dashboard
- Navigate to the “My Activity” section and then click on “Action Required”
- Choose “Approve”
- Provide their consent
- Sign and submit their section of the form
You entered the wrong social security number
- Log in and update your information in Account Settings
- The Social Security Administration (SSA) will then need to verify your account status
- Once the SSA verifies, you should update the information of your FAFSA form by selecting “Make a Correction”
- Read through the rest of the FAFSA form and sign and submit it!
You want to add or delete a school
- Log in and go to account dashboard
- Select the submitted FAFSA form
- Select the processed FAFSA submission in the “My Activity” section
- Select the “Add or Remove Schools” button
- Search for the school by entering the school code or the state, city and/or school name and then select “Search”
- Select the school from the search results
- Submit the update
Reminder! No more than 20 schools can be listed on the FAFSA form at one time. If you have 20 schools listed and then add any additional school codes, it will replace one or more of the school codes already listed.
Your situation has changed
Unfortunately, most information submitted on the FAFSA form cannot be edited because it should be accurate for the day you originally signed the FAFSA form.
However, if there is a significant change to your situation, you should speak with the financial aid office at the institution you plan to attend.
General changes to the FAFSA form
Ultimately, no matter what type of change you need to make to the FAFSA you can approach it one of the following ways:
- You can make changes by logging into your StudentAid.gov account
- Contact the institution you plan to attend and ask them to make the changes
- Contact FSA and ask for helping walking through changes
Apply to these exclusive scholarships
See all opportunitiesRelated: What to do if you’re selected for FAFSA verification
What information can’t be corrected online?
In some cases, the FAFSA won’t let you update certain fields online even if your information has changed. When this happens, contact the school’s financial aid office in order to correct or update your information. If you encounter any of the following situations, contact the financial aid offices of the schools listed on your FAFSA.
Information submitted to the IRS
You cannot correct federal tax information directly from the IRS. If you filed an IRS Form 1040-X amended return, contact your institution’s financial aid office to discuss whether it would be appropriate for the school to adjust the information on your FAFSA form.
Marital status
As mentioned previously, you cannot update changes to your marital status online. If you get married or divorced after submitting your FAFSA, speak with your school’s financial aid office to see if an updated FAFSA is required.
Financial situation
The FAFSA uses tax return information from two years prior, so your financial situation may be different at the time of application. Speak to the financial aid office if there will be a significant change in your financial situation that can’t be reported on the FAFSA form.
Also see: What does my FAFSA student aid index (SAI) number mean?
When is the FAFSA corrections deadline?
For student aid consideration for the 2025-26 award year, you must complete the FAFSA between Dec. 1, 2025 and June 30, 2025 (deadlines could vary by school). Remember to submit all corrections or updates by 11:59 p.m. CT on September 14, 2025.
However, many states and colleges have earlier deadlines. Find your state’s deadline here. Because of the variation in state and college deadlines, you should fill out the FAFSA as soon as possible after Dec. 1 to ensure you don’t miss out on available aid and if you need to make a correction, complete it as soon as possible.
Don’t miss: How to complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA
