2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

If you have learners that are interested in transitioning to postsecondary education and training, they may benefit from completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid  FAFSA®.   FAFSA®  released the following information about the 25-26 FAFSA® timeline:

FAFSA® 2025–26 Coming Soon

The 2025–26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form will be available to the public on or before Dec. 1, 2024.

Between Oct. 1 and Dec. 1, the 2025–26 FAFSA form will be available to individuals selected to participate in a limited beta release. Participation in the beta release is by invitation only.

Why We’re Doing a Beta Release

A “beta” is an early release of a technology product, such as the 2025–26 FAFSA form. Beta releases make new products available to a limited number of users before releasing them to the public. Adopting this practice will enable us to find and resolve the kinds of errors that could derail the FAFSA completion process for students and their families.

How To Prepare for the 2025–26 FAFSA® Form

Prepare now so you can complete the 2025–26 FAFSA form as soon as it’s available on or before Dec. 1, 2024. Here are some ways you can get ready:

• Create a StudentAid.gov account (if you don’t already have one).
• Learn about the documents you may need to fill out the FAFSA form.
• Determine your dependency status and whether your parent(s) or spouse will be required to contribute information on your FAFSA form.
• If you’re a dependent student, use the Who’s My FAFSA Parent? wizard to identify which parent(s) will be a required contributor on your form.

Stay Informed

Stay informed about 2025–26 FAFSA changes and receive up-to-date notifications and information:

• Follow Federal Student Aid on social media for resources and announcements.
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • YouTube (informational videos)
  • YouTube (educational webinars)
• We’ll email students (and parents of dependent students) who applied on the 2024–25 form, reminding them to apply for 2025–26. To ensure you receive updates, log in to your StudentAid.gov account and confirm we have your current email address.

We’ll update this page with additional resources and information as developments occur.