SAINT LOUIS, Mo. — Getting financial aid for college students has been a fiasco.
Last year, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) got a makeover, but it came with several tech issues that caused major delays. The hope was that it would be cleared up this fall, but so far, it doesn't look like that's the case.
Dates to know
The Department of Education said the 2025-26 FAFSA form will be available for some families on Oct. 1. A test group will be utilized to make sure the electronic form works.
By Dec. 1, the FAFSA form should be open to everyone. From there, families should start sending their applications to colleges right away.
How to maximize your chances of getting aid
Experts say there are three things you can do to maximize your chances of getting federal aid since it has typically been a first-come, first-served situation.
- Create an account with Federal Student Aid right now. This is known as your FSA ID. Having that ID created will help you be ready when it comes to other deadlines.
- Know the school-specific deadlines. Colleges set their own deadlines for financial aid applications, and that's where you need to pay attention.
- Don't delay but also don't panic if you have yet to turn in your FAFSA by Dec. 1. Normally, we're used to first-come, first-served financial aid, but because of the widespread delays, the reality is that there will likely be some forgiveness to hard deadlines. Financial aid advocates conceded they'd rather have applications be correct than timely.