What is worth knowing before implementing FAFSA next time?

If you’re looking to secure federal financial aid – in the form of student loans, grants, scholarships, or work-study funds – to help cover the costs of an undergraduate or graduate degree, you probably know that completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is essential. But then failure with last year’s introduction of the supposedly revamped FAFSA, students and parents alike may (understandably) be concerned about how this year will go.

In early October, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona “assured college leaders in a letter that the department has ‘all hands on deck’ to meet the new schedule this year, saying the government is working to publish the 2025-2026 form due to best practices software industry,” he said Money. But already, the FAFSA application process isn’t the same as it was before last year’s big shakeup. Here’s what you need to know.

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Last year, “everyone who filed a FAFSA application for the 2024-2025 school year faced delays as the department it was late in sending university student data needed to create aid packages”, as a result of which some students “started the semester without a final settlement of how much financial assistance they would receive,” he said Washington Post.. This year, the department is “trying to reverse this disaster.”

As mentioned, the 2025-2026 FAFSA program is being implemented in phases, so the Department of Education can address issues along the way. “We are testing the complete FAFSA system. This means students will begin filing FAFSA forms with practical advice and expert support,” Education Undersecretary James Kvaal told The Post. “The department will process these FAFSAs, give students the opportunity to make corrections if necessary, and forward the documentation to colleges and state agencies.”

Pay attention to school deadlines. “Colleges set their own financial aid application deadlines, and students should pay close attention to them as the season approaches,” CNBC Make It said. It’s also important to note that “your college may require you to submit your own financial aid application,” because after last year’s botched FAFSA rollout, “some schools have gone ahead and created their own institutional applications.” Make sure you know what the schools you are applying to require and when.

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When will the 2025-2026 FAFSA report be released?