The new 2025–26 FAFSA will open October 1, 2024 . It is a FREE application used to award federal student loans, and federal, state and school-specific grants, or scholarships you could be eligible for. This is required for both the Tennessee Promise Scholarship and the Tennessee Hope Scholarship. We recommend all 12th grade families fill out the FAFSA regardless of your income or situation!

Why is the FAFSA important? The answer is very simple. FAFSA it's the gateway to more than $150 billion in college grants, scholarships, work-study funds, and federal student loans, as well as certain state-based aid. 

As a student, what do I need to complete the FAFSA? The student will create a StudentAid.gov account to access and fill out the FAFSA form. For the form, they will need: 

• Social Security Number (SSN)

• Date of Birth (DOB)

• Email address (use personal email address)

• Current assets (checking and savings amounts)

• Schools you are interested in attending

• Parent/Contributor Information (name, DOB, SSN, and email) - they will be emailed to complete their own FAFSA form

As a parent, what do I need to complete the FAFSA? Only one parent needs to create a FAFSA account and complete the form. Your student will provide your information when completing their form, which will send you an invite. To complete your form you will need: 

• Social Security Number (SSN)

• Date of Birth (DOB)

• Email address 

• Your tax return from 2023 for the 2025/2026 FAFSA. (If your financial situation has changed since 2023 and it does not accurately reflect your income, you must still use the 2023 tax return. In these cases, it is recommended you contact the Financial Aid Department of each college and report this.)

• Records of your untaxed income

• Records of your assets

To learn more about the FAFSA application click on the links below.