FAFSA timing?

[easypeasy]

DD1 was a senior in 2016, and I know the timing of the FAFSA has changed (and we haven't had to fill it in since she was started college).

Yes, I've googled, but I'm numbers/dates challenged and just keep confusing myself all over again. I'm trying to run some financial aid calculators, but our finances over a 3-year-span are vastly different, and I'm not sure which numbers to plug in.

For a student who will be entering college during the 2020-21 school year, which year's taxes will be used to determine costs for her freshman year?

(Or, just tell me - for students who are currently seniors now and who will be entering 2019-20 as freshmen... which year's taxes are you using for the FAFSA? 2017's? 2016's?)

😵

Edited December 14, 2018 by easypeasy

[Lanny]

My DD will be a Freshman during the 2019-2020 school year.  On the FAFSA web site, they have two (2) forms. You must select the form for the appropriate school year. The new form is posted on the FAFSA web site on 01 October.

For the 2019-2020 school year, we used the 2017 Federal Income Tax returns. I had filed those early in 2018, knowing that we would be doing the FAFSA on or shortly after 01 October 2018.   

Note: I also filed an "Informational" return for DD for 2017, because we would be filing the FAFSA, to hopefully eliminate any problems with the FAFSA, CSS Profile, etc.