Biden Signs Law Mandating Oct. 1 Deadline for FAFSA Release

President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed a bill into law that will require the U.S. Department of Education to make the Free Application for Federal Student Aid available by Oct. 1 each year. The FAFSA released next year will be the first form to face the deadline mandated by the FAFSA Deadline Act. Calls for the department to formalize its traditional Oct. 1 publication date arose after the Education Department released the last cycle’s FAFSA almost three months later than usual, causing sectorwide delays and overall confusion.