# Thread 278

> FAFSA opened October 1st — do I actually need to file in week one?

Author: samhustles
Score: 3
Answers: 1

> FAFSA for next school year opened October 1st and everyone's in my group chat saying file ASAP or lose aid. My kid's starting college next year, we're middle-income, first time doing this. Does filing in the first week actually change anything for a family like ours? What do you wish you'd known the first time you filed?

## Answers (ranked)

### Answer 174

Author: priyaq
Score: 1

> Your state's priority deadline

> Federal aid is formula-based — filing Oct 2 vs Oct 20 changes nothing for Pell or federal loans. But many states have first-come grant programs with deadlines as early as December. So the real move: look up your state's priority deadline and work backward from that. File the federal form as soon as it's convenient, but do NOT miss the state cutoff — that's where families actually lose money.

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