The FAFSA 2025-26 was launched today. Here are 5 things you need to know before you sign up
You can now complete the Free Application for 2025-2026 Federal Student Aid. The Ministry of Education has officially released it financial aid form today to all students and families after months of testing. Submitting the form should be on your priority list when you go to college next year, even if last year’s application was a nightmare.
The FAFSA 2024-25 debuted an updated version of the financial aid application intended to streamline the process for students and their families. Unfortunately, the rollout was anything but smooth. Many students experienced significant delays that affected their college enrollment plans.
The 2025-2026 FAFSA initially seemed destined for similar challenges when its Oct. 1 release was postponed, but additional rounds of testing appeared to go more smoothly as it incorporated feedback from students, parents and schools. The latest round of testing, which began on November 18, was open to all students and contributors. According to the website, more than 140,000 students successfully submitted applications during the testing period DOE website.
“More students are receiving federal financial aid this year compared to last year, and more students are receiving Pell Grants,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said on the press call.
Despite all the challenges, experts still say it’s crucial to fill out the FAFSA before heading to college. This free form unlocks access to several types of federal financial aid, including grants, work-study, and student loans.
Although technical issues with the FAFSA are out of your control, here are some steps you can take for a smooth FAFSA application.
1. Submit the form as soon as possible
One of the best moves you can make in pursuing financial aid is to fill out the FAFSA early. Normally the form becomes available on October 1 each year. However, the FAFSA 2025-26 did not become available to a limited number of students until October while the Department of Education gathered feedback and resolved technical issues. The department originally aimed for a December 1 release goal, but completed testing early.
If you’re already thinking about next year’s application, a senior Department of Education official said they expect the 2026-27 FAFSA to restart on time for October 1, 2025.
It is important to submit your application as soon as possible because some financial aid is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. If you wait too long, you may receive significantly less financial aid than if you had applied earlier.
It’s also important to get your FAFSA before your university and state deadlines. Each school sets its own FAFSA deadlines, but they often fall sometime between January and March. You can check your state’s deadline at the Website of the Federal Student Aid.
2. Create your FSA ID
Before you can start filling out the FAFSA, you will need to do this create your account on the StudentAid.gov website. This includes setting up an FSA ID, your unique username and password.
“The student and contributors should obtain an FSA ID as soon as possible, even before the [FAFSA] start date,” says financial aid expert Mark Kantrowitz.
Everyone contributing to the FAFSA needs their own FSA ID. If you are a dependent student, this means that both you and at least one parent will each need your own FSA ID. A senior education official noted that one of the common issues during FAFSA testing was that parents had not created their own FSA ID, which takes time to get approved and can delay the application process.
Unless you are a citizen of the Freely Associated States, you will need to enter your Social Security number to create your StudentAid.gov account. Parents are not required to have a Social Security number, but should enter their Social Security number if they have one.
According to Cathy Mueller, executive director of Mapping Your Future, a financial assistance organization, it is essential that you enter the information correctly the first time.
“Unfortunately, some of the problems we have encountered in the past have occurred because social security numbers and dates of birth were entered incorrectly,” she added.
3. Determine whether you are a dependent or independent student
Dependent students must complete the FAFSA with at least one parent, while independent students can complete the FAFSA independently. There are a number of questions you can ask yourself determine your dependency statussuch as:
Are you 24 years or older?
Are you pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree?
Are you a veteran or currently serving on active duty in the United States Armed Forces?
Before the age of 13, were you an orphan, a state hospital, or a foster home?
Are you married?
If you answered ‘yes’ to one of the above questions, you can be considered an independent student. If your answer is no, you are a dependent student.
Dependent students must complete the FAFSA with the help of at least one parent. For example, if your parents are married and filed taxes jointly, only one parent needs to contribute to the form (although they must report information for both parents). If your parents are married and filed taxes separately, both must contribute to the FAFSA.
Please note that students and parents complete separate sections of the FAFSA. Make sure you are working on the correct section to avoid mistakes. The Federal Student Aid site suggests that the student complete and save their section first before the parent begins theirs.
4. Gather your information in advance
Having all your important documents organized in advance can make the FAFSA application go more smoothly. The FAFSA asks for you and your contributor’s contact information, as well as details about your finances. Among the information you may need:
Tax returns from two years ago
Current balances of any bank accounts
Net worth of investments, businesses and farms
Child benefit information
In the new version of the FAFSA, you must consent to transferring federal tax information directly to the form using the Financial assistance Direct data exchange. If you decline this automatic transfer, you will be ineligible to receive federal student aid, even if a contributor manually enters tax information into the form.
5. Check everything for accuracy
While the old FAFSA asked you 108 questions, the new FAFSA asks significantly fewer. But even though the form is shorter, you don’t want to rush through it. The student aid website says this should last less than an hour to complete, but allow extra time to ensure you understand each question and provide accurate answers.
Completing it all at once, rather than spreading it out over several days, can avoid technical problems and reduce inconsistencies in your answers, Kantrowitz said.
Before you click Submit, double check everything to make sure all your answers are correct. Errors can lead to delays, which could affect your financial aid awards.
After you submit the FAFSA, you will receive your Student Aid Report, which summarizes your FAFSA information and estimates your financial aid eligibility. If you discover any errors at this point, you may be able to resolve them by logging into your StudentAid.gov account or contacting your college or vocational school.
Where you can ask for help
Filling out the FAFSA can be intimidating, especially if you’ve never done it before. Fortunately, there are tools that can help you on your way.
On your FAFSA form, you will see several question mark icons that, when clicked, provide tips on how to answer a question. You will also find answers to frequently asked questions at FAFSA Assistanceas well as through a chat with Aidan, Federal Student Aid’s virtual assistant.
If you want to speak to a human, you can access the live chat and send an email to the Federal Information Center for Student Aid or call 800-433-3243. Cardona said the contact center has increased its staff this year and will continue to do so expand night and Saturday hours from November 22 to March 2, 2025.
Finally, you can contact your high school counselor or your college financial aid office for assistance.
By taking these steps and seeking help along the way, you can ensure a smooth FAFSA application and maximize your chances of receiving financial aid.
