The FAFSA rollout for the 2025-2026 school year has been pushed back yet again, shifting from its usual October 1 release to December 1, 2024. This delay, announced by the U.S. Department of Education, aims to prevent the technical issues that plagued last year’s FAFSA. In 2024, many students and families faced frustrating delays that ultimately slowed down financial aid processing and impacted college decisions for thousands of families.
The Department wants to avoid another chaotic rollout, so this year they’ll release the application in stages. A limited group of students and institutions will have access in October, but everyone else will wait until December. This staggered approach is intended to identify and fix glitches before the general public gets access.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is essential for many students because it determines eligibility for grants, scholarships, work-study, and federal student loans. Applying early has long been encouraged to help students maximize financial aid opportunities, as many awards are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
However, with the December release, most families will have to wait longer, potentially complicating early admissions timelines. Fortunately, since most colleges have financial aid deadlines in early spring, experts believe the December date should allow ample time to apply.
How the new timeline could impact your aid
Beth Maglione, interim president and CEO of the National…
