The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2025-26 academic year will be fully available by December 1, which is two months later than its usual debut. This delay was announced by the U.S. Department of Education, and it comes after a challenging financial aid cycle for the 2024-25 academic year. The Education Department had released a new FAFSA form for that year in late December, causing delays and technical issues.
To address these problems, the Education Department is taking a phased approach for the 2025-26 FAFSA. Starting on October 1, they will test the new form with a limited number of students and institutions to ensure complete functionality when the form fully launches. This approach aims to avoid the issues faced during the previous aid cycle.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona emphasized that the Education Department has made significant changes to the operations and oversight of the Federal Student Aid office, which manages the FAFSA. They have brought on Jeremy Singer as the FAFSA executive advisor for the 2025-26 form, who will work to improve testing and ensure that key features are available on day one of the form’s launch.
One of the key improvements for the upcoming FAFSA cycle is that students will be able to submit their forms, colleges will receive applicant data, and corrections can be made immediately. This is in contrast to the delays experienced in the previous cycle, where colleges did not receive applicant data until March, causing a compression of time for compiling aid packages.
The testing period for the 2025-26 FAFSA will begin with hundreds of students on October 1 and progress to tens of thousands in November. This phased testing will help identify and address any bugs or issues before the form is open to the full public. The Education Department will work with colleges, high schools, and other organizations to invite students to participate in the testing process.
While the news of the FAFSA delay was met with mixed reactions from higher education groups and lawmakers, many agree that it is important to ensure a functional system before the form is fully launched. Some groups expressed disappointment in the delay, while others acknowledged the need for thorough testing to prevent issues experienced in the past.
Overall, the Education Department’s decision to delay the release of the 2025-26 FAFSA in order to conduct thorough testing and ensure functionality is a step towards improving the financial aid application process for students and colleges. By addressing the challenges faced in the previous aid cycle, they aim to provide a smoother experience for all stakeholders involved in the financial aid process.
