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FAFSA 2025-2026 Update

a hand-held magnifying glass with the word FAFSA written on the glass

After a seven-week beta testing period, the 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available to the public. Here are some tips for completing the new (and hopefully improved) FAFSA — and why it may be easier to apply for financial aid this year.

The FAFSA, which is the federal financial aid form students must complete to be considered for federal grants, scholarships, loans and work-study, has been undergoing beta testing with selected high schools, community-based organizations and colleges since October 1, 2024. The form underwent this testing to identify and correct issues that plagued the form in 2023 and delayed the financial aid process for students, families and colleges. On November 21, 2024, beta testing ended and the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) released the form to the public, 10 days ahead of schedule.

NO CRITICAL BUGS WERE FOUND

According to the DOE, more than 167,000 users successfully submitted 2025–2026 FAFSA forms during the testing period. These forms were successfully processed and sent to more than 5,200 different colleges across the country. The DOE reported that no “critical” issues were found during the testing period, although many bugs were uncovered and fixed.

To identify the widest range of potential problems, the beta tests included students and contributors from a wide range of family statuses and situations, including students who have a parent or contributor without a social security number, students who are not in contact with one or both parents, students who are married or serving in the military, and homeless students.

FAFSA IMPROVEMENTS

According to the DOE, the new FAFSA has greater functionality and provides a better user experience than the previous form. The DOE has released updated user guides, videos and other resources to help students and families electronically navigate the new FAFSA form and filing process. 

One of the biggest issues for last year’s 2024-2025 FAFSA was user support. When users tried to contact the DOE for help, 75 percent of their calls — close to 4 million — went unanswered. To improve service, the DOE has increased call center staffing by 925 agents and added evening and weekend call center hours. During the testing period, call center hold times were under one minute.

A SIMPLER FAFSA MAY BE A REALITY THIS YEAR

The 2024-2025 FAFSA form contained fewer questions than in previous years to simplify the financial aid application process. It also introduced a new formula for determining financial aid eligibility which increased the number of students eligible for the federal Pell Grant, which, in 2024-2025 provided up to $7,295 to low-income students. However, due to problems with the 2024-2025 FAFSA form, many of these students abandoned their aid applications in frustration – and some gave up on attending college at all.

But this year, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona is optimistic. “After months of hard work and lots of feedback from students, schools, and other stakeholders,” he said in a press release, “we can say with confidence that the 2025-2026 FAFSA is working and will serve as the gateway to college access and affordability to millions of students.”

GET READY TO COMPLETE YOUR FAFSA

Here’s some tips for streamlining the FAFSA process for you and your family. Tackle these steps before you start filling out the FAFSA:

  • Create a StudentAid.gov account and an FSA ID (a username and password). If you already have an account, make sure your contact information is up to date, so you can receive information updates.
  • Pull together the documents you may need. These documents include your and your parents tax returns, Social Security numbers, and current bank account balances.
  • Determine whether you are an independent or dependent student. Your eligibility for financial aid depends largely on whether the government considers you dependent or independent of your parents.
  • Identify your contributors. The FAFSA application asks for financial information about you as well as financial information about parents, guardians, step-parents, spouses and others. These people are referred to as “contributors” on your FAFSA form. If you’re a dependent student, use the Who’s My FAFSA Parent tool to identify which family members or other individuals will be required to provide financial information. Each contributor will need to create their own StudentAid.gov account.
  • Review college and state FAFSA deadlines. The federal deadline to file the 2025-2026 FAFSA is June 30, 2026, but colleges and state financial aid programs often have earlier deadlines and hand out financial aid on a first come, first served basis. Also, some individual colleges may shift their financial aid deadlines to accommodate this year’s altered schedule.
  • Read up on some common FAFSA mistakes that can delay or even derail your financial aid.

How can I stay in the loop about this year’s FAFSA?

Check StudentAid.gov for updates and follow them on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube.

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