diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/mobile_api/users/tests.py b/lms/djangoapps/mobile_api/users/tests.py
index ee6eeba9655c4e46d95e0d5a6fceaa7dfd5f55a6..5cf6a0dc9bf3efaca76018458d71faa4a75e030f 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/mobile_api/users/tests.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/mobile_api/users/tests.py
@@ -265,7 +265,12 @@ class TestUserEnrollmentApi(UrlResetMixin, MobileAPITestCase, MobileAuthUserTest
                 user=self.user,
                 course_id=course.id
             )
-            ScheduleFactory(start=self.THREE_YEARS_AGO + datetime.timedelta(days=1), enrollment=enrollment)
+            ScheduleFactory(
+                # TODO replace 'start' field with 'start_date' after data migration,
+                #  in removing writes from old field step in column renaming release
+                start=self.THREE_YEARS_AGO + datetime.timedelta(days=1),
+                enrollment=enrollment
+            )
         else:
             course = CourseFactory.create(start=self.LAST_WEEK, mobile_available=True)
             self.enroll(course.id)
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/admin.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/admin.py
index bb6e5b13e1deeac50b2130d4711e431b163a4f50..1c0b02e1e6b5fc5827c00d7c1055c5ec614f5f38 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/admin.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/admin.py
@@ -122,7 +122,9 @@ class CourseIdFilter(admin.SimpleListFilter):
 
 @admin.register(models.Schedule)
 class ScheduleAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
+    # Replace 'start' with 'start_date' once data migration is complete, in removing writes from old field step.
     list_display = ('username', 'course_id', 'active', 'start', 'upgrade_deadline', 'experience_display')
+    # Replace 'start' with 'start_date' once data migration is complete, in removing writes from old field step.
     list_display_links = ('start', 'upgrade_deadline', 'experience_display')
     list_filter = (
         CourseIdFilter,
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/management/commands/setup_models_to_send_test_emails.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/management/commands/setup_models_to_send_test_emails.py
index 9d2eac6612ab065e2f3e35fd520ed7c7c73e3f32..e975713fb90c7ac0cd4f2f5e0f9e35b5872acd78 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/management/commands/setup_models_to_send_test_emails.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/management/commands/setup_models_to_send_test_emails.py
@@ -27,21 +27,30 @@ class ThreeDayNudgeSchedule(ScheduleFactory):
     """
     A ScheduleFactory that creates a Schedule set up for a 3-day nudge email.
     """
+    # TODO: Remove 'start' once data migration is complete, after removing reference to old field step,
+    #  and use new field in column renames.
     start = factory.Faker('date_time_between', start_date='-3d', end_date='-3d', tzinfo=pytz.UTC)
+    # start_date = factory.Faker('date_time_between', start_date='-3d', end_date='-3d', tzinfo=pytz.UTC)
 
 
 class TenDayNudgeSchedule(ScheduleFactory):
     """
     A ScheduleFactory that creates a Schedule set up for a 10-day nudge email.
     """
+    # TODO: Remove 'start' once data migration is complete, after removing reference to old field step,
+    #  and use new field in column renames.
     start = factory.Faker('date_time_between', start_date='-10d', end_date='-10d', tzinfo=pytz.UTC)
+    # start_date = factory.Faker('date_time_between', start_date='-10d', end_date='-10d', tzinfo=pytz.UTC)
 
 
 class UpgradeReminderSchedule(ScheduleFactory):
     """
     A ScheduleFactory that creates a Schedule set up for a 2-days-remaining upgrade reminder.
     """
+    # TODO: Remove 'start' once data migration is complete, after removing reference to old field step,
+    #  and use new field in column renames.
     start = factory.Faker('past_datetime', tzinfo=pytz.UTC)
+    # start_date = factory.Faker('past_datetime', tzinfo=pytz.UTC)
     upgrade_deadline = factory.Faker('date_time_between', start_date='+2d', end_date='+2d', tzinfo=pytz.UTC)
 
 
@@ -49,7 +58,10 @@ class ContentHighlightSchedule(ScheduleFactory):
     """
     A ScheduleFactory that creates a Schedule set up for a course highlights email.
     """
+    # TODO: Remove 'start' once data migration is complete, after removing reference to old field step,
+    #  and use new field in column renames.
     start = factory.Faker('date_time_between', start_date='-7d', end_date='-7d', tzinfo=pytz.UTC)
+    # start_date = factory.Faker('date_time_between', start_date='-7d', end_date='-7d', tzinfo=pytz.UTC)
     experience = factory.RelatedFactory(ScheduleExperienceFactory, 'schedule', experience_type=ScheduleExperience.EXPERIENCES.course_updates)
 
 
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/resolvers.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/resolvers.py
index 1d4b3399e551e4ae4d7248805caa3c718f33298b..90113826352442e602135d838dcf0284554ca333 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/resolvers.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/resolvers.py
@@ -336,6 +336,8 @@ class CourseUpdateResolver(BinnedSchedulesBaseResolver):
     course has updates.
     """
     log_prefix = 'Course Update'
+    # TODO assign 'schedule_date_field' value to new column ('start_date')
+    #  once data migration step is completed in column renames.
     schedule_date_field = 'start'
     num_bins = COURSE_UPDATE_NUM_BINS
     experience_filter = Q(experience__experience_type=ScheduleExperience.EXPERIENCES.course_updates)
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/signals.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/signals.py
index 96c320ef6f9bb76164c0af87a7de24ba525f6e4d..99886b82a38f895743f190b7bba4ffeee362dade 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/signals.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/signals.py
@@ -196,7 +196,9 @@ def _create_schedule(enrollment, enrollment_created):
 
     schedule = Schedule.objects.create(
         enrollment=enrollment,
+        # TODO remove 'start' field in removing writes from old field step in column renaming release
         start=content_availability_date,
+        start_date=content_availability_date,
         upgrade_deadline=upgrade_deadline
     )
 
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/tasks.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/tasks.py
index e078921911fb6a0c17fbd2b018562456d21bb342..d410380dc55562ca60433c06d72c9a2331e4305e 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/tasks.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/tasks.py
@@ -48,7 +48,9 @@ def update_course_schedules(self, **kwargs):
 
     try:
         Schedule.objects.filter(enrollment__course_id=course_key).update(
+            # TODO remove 'start' field in removing writes from old field step in column renaming release
             start=new_start_date,
+            start_date=new_start_date,
             upgrade_deadline=new_upgrade_deadline
         )
     except Exception as exc:
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/tests/factories.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/tests/factories.py
index bb984a25a66a6c2ea23a062903cfd0c830dc74d7..c50a73d53c826364f0c8bb24dfcb7ef29884b003 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/tests/factories.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/schedules/tests/factories.py
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ class ScheduleFactory(factory.DjangoModelFactory):
     class Meta(object):
         model = models.Schedule
 
+    # TODO replace 'start' field with 'start_date' after data migration,
+    #  in removing writes from old field step in column renaming release
     start = factory.Faker('future_datetime', tzinfo=pytz.UTC)
     upgrade_deadline = factory.Faker('future_datetime', tzinfo=pytz.UTC)
     enrollment = factory.SubFactory(CourseEnrollmentFactory)