Early FAFSA Launch: What Changes and How This Affects Your Financial Aid

The FAFSA opened early this year, offering students at WSUV a wider filing window to secure their financial aid. Natalie Marquez, a representative at Student Financial Services at WSUV, has shared her insight into the ways that this early release date could potentially affect students. 

For students, Marquez said this early launch provides massive advantages. It provides students a larger window for applying, and gives them more time to navigate the often-times confusing application process, allowing students to gather the necessary paperwork, ask questions, and make corrections to any errors on their applications. 

Filing early does not change a student’s baseline for how much federal and state aid they qualify for, but meeting early filing deadlines is extremely important for certain institution and campus-based funding options. WSUV’s priority deadline is January 1 for students starting in the fall 2027 semester. Filing before this priority registration date ensures that students are eligible for campus-based awards, federal and state grants, and institutional scholarships. 

“If a student applies after the priority date, they might not be eligible for those funds because they might run out,” Marquez warned. While federal and state funding will still be processed as normal after the priority deadline, missing the priority registration deadline means potentially missing out on extra university funding. 

FAFSA opened roughly one week prior to the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA). Marquez stated that this short gap will not cause delays in funding for undocumented or state-aid eligible students. The overall timeline and review process for WASFA applicants will remain aligned with FAFSA applicants. 

A common mistake made by students applying for financial aid is skipping the FAFSA or WASFA application because they believe that their income is too high to qualify for federal aid. Marquez strongly discourages this mindset. FAFSA and WASFA act as a gateway for many institutional options that require financial data on file. 

Additionally, having an active application on file serves as a safety net for any unexpected life and financial changes. “Other things might come up later, so if there’s a financial situation where someone’s income changes, at least they have that application on file and we can re-review it and just make sure that students are getting the best financial packet that they can get,” Marquez noted.

For the Student Financial Services center, the daily processing for financial aid will remain relatively the same. “It doesn’t change much for us,” Marquez explained. “I think that in processing terms we are still going to process the applications as they come in.” 

Students looking for assistance with their financial aid application process can connect with the Student Services Center in many different ways. “Apply as early as you can and if you have questions just stop in and see us and we’re happy to help,” Marquez said. “Students can either call, drop-in, or schedule an appointment online. We’re available.”

Student Financial Services can be found at the Student Services Center, just above WSUV’s textbook store, The Bookie. Student Financial Services can also be contacted at van.finaid@wsu.edu or (360) 546-9788.