<p>^^I know this through my direct experience with the financial aid office, which includes discussions on process with the Director of Financial Aid.</p>
<p>As for the website, here is a reference that confirms the OP’s question about filing the FAFSA early as an ED student:</p>
<p>"If your financial aid application is late, your financial aid eligibility will not change. "</p>
<p>“NOTE: The FAFSA application will not be uploaded to the applicant access account until the end of February.”</p>
<p>[Duke</a> Financial Aid: Early Decision](<a href=“http://www.finaid.duke.edu/undergraduate/prospectives/apply/early.html]Duke”>http://www.finaid.duke.edu/undergraduate/prospectives/apply/early.html)</p>
<p>So, if you are an ED applicant, you can file the FAFSA now, but Duke will not be accessing it until the end of February, when they will evaluate/confirm the tentative award that was given to the ED student upon acceptance.</p>