Sunday afternoons can be a good time for students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) – that is, except for two Sundays in late April and early May.

In an April 19 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education said the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) will be unavailable on the following dates and times during the months of April and May 2023:

• Sunday, April 30; 1:30– 3 p.m. Eastern
• Sunday, May 7; 1:30– 3 p.m. Eastern

According to the Department, users may access the FAFSA form and the Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) Plan Request during these periods. However, the Department said “if an action requires entry of federal tax information, the tax information will need to be provided manually.” In the case of the IDR Plan Request, alternative documentation of income may need to be provided.

The Department said applicants may wish to complete these applications after the outages are over.