The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opened Oct. 1 of this year, reaching its normal deadline after two tumultuous years, the Department of Education announced Wednesday.
The good news is that the timeline will be normalized after the department's goal to simplify the FAFSA form caused a two-cycle delay.
Back in 2023, the deadline was completely missed and the form was not released to everyone until early 2024.
Once the forms were released, the system was riddled with bugs and errors that prevented schools from receiving the financial aid information they needed on time.
For the 2024-2025 FAFSA cycle, forms were not released until December, but a smoother rollout could result in schools getting the information they need in time for offer shipping deadlines. .
The ministry said 94 percent of individuals were satisfied with the filing process.
“The Department is increasing contact center capacity for the 2025-2026 FAFSA form launch, with wait times continuing to average less than one minute and this number remaining low,” the department report states. It is expected that there will be.”
The department said eligibility for federal Pell grants has also increased with the restoration of the schedule.
Almost 14% more students will receive Pell grants this cycle compared to last time.
The majority of all institutions have the same number or more students receiving federal student aid as last year, the department said.
