Oct. 1 brings a new FAFSA filing deadline

College students and their parents might feel as if they've barely finished unpacking the U-Haul when suddenly they face the financial-aid paperwork for the 2017-18 academic year.

That's right, 2017-18. Beginning this year, FAFSA filing season launches Oct. 1, a new timeline that starts three months earlier. Typically, FAFSA filing season began in January.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is moving to a new schedule to align with the college-admissions season.

The change, first announced in September 2015, can help high school seniors make better decisions on where they'd like to attend college based on the financial-aid offers they receive from schools. It's possible some award letters could arrive a little earlier in the decision-making process, maybe by early March instead of late March or April.

But if you overlook the new October kickoff and procrastinate too long, you risk losing out to others who realize that some financial aid is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Abigail Seldin, co-founder of College Abacus, which offers a financial-aid calculator, said some aid could be depleted sooner in the process than in past years because of the change in dates.

The time frame isn't all that's changing. Going forward, you'll now be able to file a federal tax return from what's awkwardly called the "prior-prior" year.

Simply put: You'd use your 2015 federal tax return for the 2017-18 academic year; the 2016 return for the 2018-19 academic year; and so forth.

Under the new system, more families should be able to use the Internal Revenue Service's Data Retrieval Tool to automatically fill in a FAFSA form online with tax information.

What can you do now to prepare?

Start setting aside documents that you'll need to file the FAFSA, including 2015 federal tax returns, 1099s, and current bank and brokerage statements. Other important records include the student's driver's license, the student and parent's Social Security cards, records relating to child support paid or received, and taxable earnings from federal work-study.

Get an FSA ID at fsaid.ed.gov before the kickoff date. Mark Kantrowitz, publisher and vice president of strategy for Cappex.com, said many families have reported challenges getting the FSA ID. So it can help to work out some glitches before Oct. 1.

The FAFSA system switched from using a four-digit PIN to what's expected to be a more secure FSA ID. Extra layers of security can mean that more people run into problems, including when you don't remember your user name or password, Kantrowitz said.

Here's a tip: You are much more likely to lose access to your FSA ID if someone else creates it for you. Three unsuccessful login attempts are enough to lock someone out. If you're having trouble with a FSA ID, you can call 1-800-557-7394.

You can't just copy the last FAFSA form, even though both the 2016-17 and 2017-18 forms use 2015 federal tax data. Some factors may have changed since you filed in January or February for the 2016-17 school year.

For example, you might have filed an amended federal income tax return, which changes the numbers. Or the marital status of the student's parents might have changed. For free help, call Federal Student Aid Information Center, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, at 1-800-433-3243.

Richard Castellano, vice president of corporate communications for student-loan services provider Sallie Mae, noted there's some concern parents or students might procrastinate.

"The earlier time frame could almost have families thinking, 'I have plenty of time to wait,' " Castellano said.

A student can submit a FAFSA from Oct. 1 through June 30, 2018, for the 2017-18 school year. But individual states have their own deadlines for state aid, so move sooner, rather than later, especially if you're applying to schools in several states.

Pay attention to any possible changes in admissions deadlines, too.

Some old rules and advice still apply to FAFSA.

It's important not to inflate your wealth because you don't know what's required. Don't, for example, make one of the more common mistakes and list money held in 401(k) plans or IRAs. Don't list the equity you hold in your primary home, either.

But do remember that students who apply earlier tend to receive more aid.