ED Officially Launches 2026-27 FAFSA Ahead of October 1 Deadline
By Maria Carrasco, NASFAA Staff Reporter
After more than a month of beta testing, the Department of Education (ED) on Wednesday officially launched the 2026-27 FAFSA, one week ahead of its October 1 deadline, marking the earliest launch in the program’s history.
Earlier in August, ED began the beta testing process for the 2026-27 FAFSA, in which a limited number of students and families began testing the application. In the past few weeks, the department expanded the testing process and last week announced that any student or contributor could complete their 2026-27 FAFSA form during the beta testing period. Users who completed their FAFSAs during the beta testing period will not need to resubmit their form for the 2026-27 academic year.
More than 43,000 applicants started a FAFSA during the beta testing period, and roughly 60% of those applications (27,246) were submitted. Of the 24,793 applications that have been processed to date, 23,840 were processed without rejection.
NASFAA President and CEO Melanie Storey said that the timely launch of the 2026-27 FAFSA is an important and positive milestone for students and families.
“NASFAA has long supported codifying the earlier launch date, because the sooner students and families get information about financial aid, the more empowered they are to make informed decisions about attending college,” Storey said. “This milestone would not have been possible without the hard work of countless individuals at the Department who have collaborated with financial aid professionals over the last several years.”
In late August, Education Secretary Linda McMahon certified to Congress that the 2026-27 FAFSA was on track to launch by October 1, 2025, as mandated by the FAFSA Deadline Act.
McMahon celebrated the early launch of the FAFSA, stating that ensuring an “on-time, smooth FAFSA experience” has been a top priority of the Trump administration.
“I am extremely proud to announce the earliest launch of the FAFSA form in history, which ensures American students and families have access to critical resources as they begin or continue their postsecondary education journey,” McMahon said in a statement.
ED also noted that its user feedback from the beta testing found that 97% of respondents reported satisfaction with the FAFSA, and 90% said it took a reasonable time to complete.
Publication Date: 9/25/2025
Lee Ann T | 9/25/2025 10:9:28 AM
Current administration is knocking it out of the park! Kudos to all involved!
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