The U.S. Department of Education has announced a phased rollout for the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form starting with a very limited release on October 1, and full availability for all families by December 1, 2024. 

This announcement comes on the heels of the worst FAFSA and financial aid rollout in memory. Last year’s FAFSA was originally set to launch on October 1, then was delayed until December 28, but even after opening for families to submit, processing didn’t happen until March. The result of these failures is that FAFSA completions are way below prior years, causing families to receive less financial aid.

Phased Rollout

The Department’s new approach will begin with a controlled testing period. Initially, the FAFSA form will be made accessible to a limited number of students and institutions. This pilot phase will gradually expand, involving hundreds and then tens of thousands of applicants. By incrementally increasing the number of users, the Department aims to identify and resolve any potential issues before the nationwide launch.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona emphasized the importance of this strategy, stating, “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.”

Updates And The Future

The new FAFSA implementation is a direct response to the needs expressed by students, families, and educational professionals based on the botched rollout experiences this past year. By phasing the launch of the FAFSA, the Department hopes to ensure a smooth application process before it’s launched to all families.

Throughout the testing period, the Department will provide regular updates to keep students, families, and stakeholders informed of their progress. These updates are intended to maintain transparency and build confidence among all participants in the process. The Department also plans to release a new formal request for information next week, inviting further feedback from its partners.

Additionally, the Department will publish a roadmap with new tools and resources for students, families, and educational institutions, ensuring they are well-prepared for the 2025-26 FAFSA season. The ultimate goal remains to maximize access to federal financial aid and support students in achieving their educational aspirations.

This all comes on the heels of new legislation in Congress to codify the October 1 launch deadline for FAFSA. The later the FAFSA launches, the less likely families are to fill out the form to qualify for aid.

College applications start as early as August 1, and families need to start making decisions for Early Action or Early Decision fairly quickly. Not having the financial aid picture can be challenging.

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