• The Department of Education said the full launch of the 2025-2026 FAFSA is on track for Dec. 1.
• Here are some steps you can take now to prepare.
• For many families, financial aid is crucial when it comes to covering college costs.

THE Free Application for Federal Student Aid for 2025-26 will be available to all students and contributors no later than December 1, the Ministry of Education said.

Typically, students have access to the upcoming academic year’s form in October, but this year’s delayed release follows a “gradual deployment” intended to address issues reported during the 2024-25 FAFSA cycle. Last year’s new simplified form was plagued with problems initially, some of which are still outstanding.

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While the extended trial period for the 2025-2026 FAFSA is important, another delayed start “creates a compressed time frame for students and families to submit their financial information, which may lead to missed opportunities for aid” , Beth Maglione, interim president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, said in a statement.

How to prepare for the 2025-26 FAFSA

“I would encourage families to start gathering their documents and financial information now, so they are ready to apply as soon as the application becomes available,” Maglione said. “By taking these steps as soon as possible, we will ensure they do not miss out on vital financial support for their university education.”

According to Maglione, there are five key steps students and parents can take now to prepare their application when it becomes available. Here’s his best advice:

1. Create a studentaid.gov account: Before opening the new form, students and their parents (if the student is a dependent) can set up a username and passwordcommonly known as FSA ID, to access and complete the FAFSA electronically.
2. Collect personal information: Students should have their social security number handy (as well as parents, if the student is a dependent, or spouses of the student, if applicable). However, if the student spouse, parent or step-parent does not have an SSN, they can still register for an FSA identifier. The form may also ask for your driver’s license or state identification number. Non-citizens should have their alien registration number ready.
3. Federal tax information: Applicants will need tax information from the previous tax year. In this case, that means students should have a 2023 tax return for the 2025-2026 FAFSA.
4. Financial records: The FAFSA requires records of the student’s (and parents’, if applicable) bank accounts, stocks, bonds, real estate (excluding the family home), and other investments. Any records of untaxed income, such as child support or government benefits, must also be documented.
5. List of schools: Finally, FAFSA applicants must have a list of schools to which the student is applying or attending, which will need to be listed on the FAFSA application.

Why the FAFSA is so important

For many students, financial aid is crucial when it comes to cover university tuition fees.

Higher education already costs more than most families can afford, and college costs continue to rise. Tuition and fees and room and board for a private four-year college averaged $58,600 in the 2024-2025 school year, up from $56,390 a year earlier. At the state’s public four-year colleges, the amount was $24,920, compared to $24,080, according to the College Board.

The FAFSA serves as the gateway to all federal aid funds, including federal students loans, work-study and especially scholarships – which have become the most crucial type of aid because they generally do not need to be repaid.

According to the National College Attainment Network, submitting a FAFSA is also one of the best indicators of whether a high school student will go to college. Seniors who complete the FAFSA are 84% more likely enroll in college directly after high school, according to an NCAN study using 2013 data.

How FAFSA failures impacted students

After last year’s FAFSA complicationsit became clear what amount of financial assistance weighed heavily on decisions about college.

Partly because of problems with the new form, the number of new freshmen sank 5% this fall compared to last year, according to an analysis of initial data by the National Research Center on the Student Clearinghouse.

Declines in freshman enrollment were most significant at four-year colleges that serve low-income students, the report found.

At four-year colleges where a large share of students receive Pell Grants, freshman enrollment has fallen by more than 10 percent.

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