2025-26 FAFSA opens for all students as form enters final stage of testing

Maddie Aiken / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Students and families can officially start filling out the 2025-26 application to receive federal student aid.

U.S. Department of Education officials announced that the FAFSA was entering its final stage of beta testing. As of Nov. 18, the FAFSA is now open to any student or parent who wants to get a head start on the form.  

The application is slated to officially release by Dec. 1.

“Students and contributors may choose to submit applications when the Expanded Beta 4 period opens, or they might choose to wait until the form is out of beta testing and officially released,” a news release from the department reads. “Regardless of when they choose to submit an application, students and their contributors should sign up now for a StudentAid.gov account (also referred to as an FSA ID) if they do not already have one.”

The 2025-26 form opened to a select group of students and families on Oct.1. Traditionally, it would open to all families on that day — but the limited launch was prompted by the rocky release of a revamped FAFSA last year. Muddied by technology issues and delays, the messy launch has had lasting impacts on the share of students who received aid and colleges’ fall 2024 enrollments.

Because of those issues, the department decided to undergo a “testing period” of this year’s form. As of Oct. 1, more than 14,000 students have submitted their applications, according to the department. No critical bugs have been found during the testing period. 

 “More than 14,000 students have already submitted 2025-26 FAFSA forms, and we have successfully processed them and sent them to colleges, universities, and state agencies across the country,” Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal said in the news release.

Colleges and career schools use the form to determine student eligibility for federal student loans, scholarships, grants and work-study funds. In Pennsylvania, the FAFSA is also used to determine state aid eligibility.

Students must complete the FAFSA every year to vie for federal aid.