The U.S. Department of Education released the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFS) application for the 2025-2026 academic year earlier than planned, following delays encountered last year.
Students can now begin filing their FAFSA applications and send their information to up to 20 colleges to determine the amount that they may receive as a grant for the upcoming academic year. The education department launched the FAFSA application on Nov. 21, more than a week before its intended planned date of Dec. 1, after testing the form with students for weeks. The department implemented several changes to ease the process.
