The U.S. Department of Education said the “phased rollout” of the new Free Application for federal student aid is on track for the next academic year.
So far, the 2025-26 FAFSA has been available to a limited group of students in a series of beta tests that began on October 1st, but all students and contributors must complete the application by December 1st. The Ministry of Education said it will be available to all students. (All students typically have access to the next academic year’s form in October, but last year’s new simplified form was delayed by a month and wasn’t available until late December.)
“We are confident that next year’s forms will be released by Dec. 1,” Education Undersecretary James Kvart told CNBC.
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But higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz said there are still “many unresolved issues,” some of which are also plagued by last year’s college aid application cycle.
He said the government’s FAFSA issues page listed 22 outstanding issues as of Oct. 29, down from 25 a few weeks ago.
Last year, some high school seniors said the complexities associated with the new form weighed on their decisions to attend college.
“We heard complaints from many students and families,” Kvar said. “We have made great strides in solving these problems and now more students can fill out the forms.”
How the FAFSA impacts college selection
For many students, financial aid is critical to covering the cost of college.
The cost of higher education is already beyond what most families can afford, and the cost of college continues to rise. Tuition and fees plus room and board at private four-year colleges will average $58,600 for the 2024-25 academic year, up from $56,390 the previous year. The University Commission found that four-year public universities ranged from $24,080 to $24,920.
The FAFSA serves as the gateway to all federal aid, including federal student loans, work-study, and especially grants, which typically do not need to be repaid, making them the most important type of aid. .
According to the National College Attainment Network, filing the FAFSA is also one of the best predictors of whether a high school senior will attend college. According to an NCAN study of 2013 data, seniors who complete the FAFSA are 84% more likely to enroll in college immediately after high school.
Recruitment of new students is decreasing
Partly due to the new format of questions, the number of first-year college students this fall is down 5% from last year, according to an analysis of early data by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
The report also found that the decline in first-year enrollment was most pronounced at four-year colleges that serve low-income students. At four-year colleges, where many students receive Pell Grants, first-year enrollment has fallen by more than 10%.
Ellie Brucker, research director at the Institute for College Access and Success, said the steep decline was “shocking,” especially for schools with large numbers of students from low-income families.
“It’s huge to see this level of decline,” she added.
Mr Brücker also said he was hopeful that the Ministry of Education would be able to meet the deadline it set for the 2025-26 form.
But even if all goes well, students are still working within a condensed time frame compared to the typical October FAFSA rollout, which could work against them, he said. she added.
“Even if everything goes well this time, we’re working on an even shorter schedule. We’ll be cutting out two or three months,” she said. For families and students who rely on financial aid, “that can be very stressful.”
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