There are changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) this year and it is important to get it done early. It is beneficial to start thinking about filling your 2017-2018 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).The federal government has adjusted both the filing period and the information required in an effort to start the process earlier and make it easier and more accurate.

The FAFSA opened this year (and in future years) on October 1, months earlier than in previous years. The process is also easier. The application now requires income tax information from two years prior to the aid year, meaning that you will be able to use tax filings from 2015. This change means you won’t have to rush to file taxes or use estimates to complete the FAFSA. Instead, the required information should already be filed and you can easily transfer it into the FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval tool. Using that tool should also streamline the verification process should you be chosen.