2026-27 FAFSA Updates: What Students Need to Know About Federal Financial Aid
Credit: Kevin Carter / Getty Images News / Getty Images North America- The Department of Education plans to launch the 2026-27 FAFSA by October 2025.
- If successful, it’ll be the first time in three years the department launches by Oct. 1.
- Rollout of the two previous FAFSA forms experienced delays.
- The upcoming FAFSA also promises a streamlined process for inviting contributors to the form.
The rollout of a new FAFSA appears to be on schedule for the first time in three years.
Federal Student Aid (FSA) plans to release the 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) through a phased rollout of beta tests. The form allows millions of college students to access federal, state, and institutional financial aid each year.
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FSA plans a full release of the FAFSA by Oct. 1, 2025.
While students won’t have to file a FAFSA as soon as it launches, many advocates have campaigned for a launch by October to give students as much time as possible to complete their application. The past two FAFSA launches, however, were hampered by delays.
A BestColleges survey of undergraduate and graduate students found that 1 in 4 (25%) say issues with the 2024-25 FAFSA rollout affected their ability to stay enrolled in their current programs.
Here’s what we know about the FAFSA rollout for students who plan to attend college during the 2026-27 academic year.
June 2025 — Rollout Plan Revealed
FSA unveiled its rollout plan for the 2026-27 FAFSA on June 23.
The rollout includes three phases:
- Beta 1: Aug. 4, 2025
- Beta 2: Late August / Early September 2025
- Full launch: Oct. 1, 2025
The first beta will include a “limited group” of school districts that will be able to access the form through in-person or virtual events. The second beta phase will be broader, and individual students and parents will be able to request participation in this phase, according to FSA.
FSA added that the 2026-27 FAFSA will include two significant updates.
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First, all users who create a StudentAid.org account with a Social Security number will have their accounts verified immediately rather than over the course of multiple days. Second, the form will include a simplified process for students to invite contributors.
December 2024 — Congress Passes FAFSA Deadline Act
After back-to-back bungled FAFSA launches, lawmakers sought to avoid further delays in launching the financial aid application.
On Dec. 11, former President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan FAFSA Deadline Act into law. This act required the Department of Education to launch the FAFSA form by Oct. 1 each year.
Previously, the department had until Jan. 1 to release the form.
Most administrations had sought to make the form available by Oct. 1, even before the FAFSA Deadline Act. Issues related to the release of the Simplified FAFSA had caused delays, however, including a phased rollout through 2024 that lasted until November.