The U.S. Department of Education announced yesterday in a press release that the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA® form) will open for a limited set of students and institutions on October 1, and then the department will make the application available to all students on or before December 1.
The department continues to try and ensure students have access to the maximum federal financial aid possible to reach their education goals, and leaders are promising both a better product and smoother process.
The “Better FAFSA” launched earlier this year amid multiple glitches and delays, causing enormous stress for students and families who need help paying for college.
In North Carolina, help for the 2024-25 school year is still available for incoming freshmen, current college students, and adult learners via phone call, email, or in-person. We need you to spread the word as time is running out for college-bound students to complete the FAFSA, with the Aug. 15 priority date looming for those who may qualify for the state’s Next NC Scholarship.
What we know about the 2025-26 FAFSA®
According to the press release, on October 1, the department will invite volunteers to participate in the testing period, and over time will make the form available to an increasing number of participants, starting with hundreds and expanding to tens of thousands of applicants. This process will allow the department to test and resolve issues before making the form available to all students and contributors by December 1.
In the coming weeks, the department will release more information about how this testing period will work.
“Following a challenging 2024-25 FAFSA cycle, the Department listened carefully to the input of students, families, and higher education institutions, made substantial changes to leadership and operations at Federal Student Aid, and is taking a new approach this year that will significantly improve the FAFSA experience,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “Thanks to the partnership of our stakeholders, we’ve developed a better implementation process for 2025-26. I look forward to continuing to work with our partners to ensure this school year’s FAFSA implementation better serves our nation’s students.”
The goal of the phased rollout of the 2025-26 FAFSA form, consistent with software industry best-practices, is to work with limited groups of users to identify and resolve the kind of system errors that can derail millions of students and contributors and thousands of colleges. A phased rollout will also allow the Department to incorporate user feedback to ensure the application’s instructions are clear and easy-to-use for students and contributors and provide resources for the community that supports students and families.
— U.S. Department of Education press release
“We’ve heard from students, families, higher education professionals and other stakeholders loud and clear: They want a better, simpler FAFSA process, and they want to know when they can reliably expect it,” said FAFSA Executive Advisor Jeremy Singer. “In close collaboration with partners, Federal Student Aid is confident we will deliver not only a better product, but also a smoother process than last year. One that makes higher education more accessible and within reach for more Americans.”
The department hopes that regular updates during the testing period will boost confidence among students and families, institutions, state agencies, and other partners and stakeholders.
A new, formal request for feedback will be released next week by the department, and it intends to publish a new roadmap with additional tools for students and families, counselors, institutions, and other partners planning for a successful 2025-26 FAFSA season.
