Just ahead of the official Dec. 1 launch date, the Department of Education announced all students and families can now access the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Following a rocky rollout of the updated form last year, the department delayed the official opening of the 2025-26 application until Dec. 1, two months later than the standard Oct. 1 opening day. 

Select students and families were invited to fill out the 2025-26 FAFSA starting on Oct. 1 as part of a beta testing period. Over the last several weeks, the department has closely monitored the online application and test groups' feedback for bugs and issues it could address before the full launch.

As of Nov. 18, all students and families are now able to access and submit their 2025-26 FAFSAs. The application is still in beta testing as the department ensures it still functions successfully with a greater influx of applicants. But those who submit a form now while in beta mode will not need to submit another application after Dec. 1.

"Just like other beta periods, the department will process FAFSA forms and send them to institutions of higher education and states," the department says on its website. "Students who submit a FAFSA form during any beta period…will be able to make any needed corrections to the form and will not need to submit a subsequent 2025–26 FAFSA form."

The beta testing period will conclude no later than Dec. 1, the department says. You can visit studentaid.gov to complete your FAFSA. You'll need your Federal Student Aid ID or, if you don't have an account, your Social Security number to create one.

On track for a better year

As the 2024-25 school year began, colleges nationwide saw a roughly 5% drop in first-year enrollment, according to data from National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. 

Some higher education professionals point to last year's messy FAFSA rollout as a significant contributing factor. After all, four-year colleges that serve low-income students saw the biggest declines in first-year enrollment, National Student Clearinghouse reports.

The Department of Education moving forward with opening this year's FAFSA ahead of schedule, but not on a rushed timeline, seems to indicate this year will be smoother, Beth Maglione, interim president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, said in a statement. 

"To date, the Department's process and planned rollout of the 2025-26 FAFSA…seems to indicate that federal leaders have taken to heart the lessons learned from last year's glitchy rollout, and have used those lessons to chart a more stable roadmap," she said.

More than 14,000 students have already submitted a FAFSA since Oct. 1, ED says, and participants of the beta testing period have a 95% satisfaction rate. 

If you're going to college during the 2025-26 school year, it's a good idea to fill out a FAFSA as soon as you can. You'll need to file the form if you hope to receive any kind of federal or state financial aid, and most colleges require it to be considered for institutional aid. 

There's no income limit for who can submit a FAFSA. Financial aid administrators consider your household income as well as your family size and other factors to determine aid eligibility. The federal FAFSA deadline isn't until the end of June 2026, but many schools and states have earlier deadlines for students attending in the fall of 2025.

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