FAFSA Will Launch Ahead of Schedule

The 2025–26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid is on track to launch ahead of its Dec. 1 deadline, Education Department officials announced on a press call Thursday afternoon, likely around Nov. 22—though the officials said they couldn’t confirm an exact date.  The department released this year’s FAFSA in phases to test the form for bugs and user compatibility issues. Officials said the rollout entered its fourth and final testing phase Wednesday, after initial testing received cautiously positive feedback from families and college access groups.