Is the Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) available October 1st, 2017 to file the 2018-2019 FAFSA? On October 1, students and parents will be able to fill out their FAFSAs for the 2018-19 academic year with the help of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT). Last spring, the Department of Education and the IRS took the tool offline, as a result of concerns over identity theft. The FAFSA asks for income and tax information from two tax years prior. That means on the 2018–19 FAFSA, students and their parents will report their 2016 income and tax information, rather than their 2017 income and tax information.

Source: Forbes September 23, 2017 17:48 UTC