FAFSA 2025-2026 application release date? Still Oct 1st or delayed again?

i havent heard anything official but my sons fin aid advisor told us to expect another delay. apparnetly they're still working thru all the mess from last years rollout

Ugh, that's what I was afraid of. Did they give any hint about how long the delay might be? I'm trying to plan out our application timeline.

The Department of Education hasn't made an official announcement about the 2025-2026 FAFSA release date yet. Traditionally it would be October 1st, but given last year's issues, they might adjust the timeline. I'd recommend signing up for email alerts on StudentAid.gov so you'll be notified as soon as they announce the official date. Also, make sure you and your daughter create FSA IDs well in advance if you don't already have them - that part of the process is separate and can be done anytime.

Adding to this excellent advice - even with last year's delay, they still prioritized processing for those who submitted earliest in the available window. So whenever it opens, try to submit within the first week if possible. This especially matters if your daughter is applying to schools with institutional aid that has priority deadlines.

Thank you both, that's really helpful. We already have our FSA IDs from when we helped my nephew with his application, but I'll definitely sign up for those alerts. And yes, she's looking at a few schools that mentioned priority deadlines for institutional scholarships, so we'll be ready to submit ASAP once it opens.

THE WHOLE FAFSA SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!!! My daughter's 2024-25 application is STILL showing errors even after submitting corrections 3 TIMES. Now you're telling me they might delay the next one too?? How are families supposed to plan anything when they keep changing everything and nothing works?!?

Same here! We submitted in January and had to make corrections twice because of that income reporting glitch. Our SAI score changed three times and my daughter almost lost her university scholarship because of the delays. The whole system needs to be scrapped and rebuilt from scratch.

I understand your frustration - the rollout last year was problematic for many families. For those still experiencing technical issues with the current year's application, I'd suggest trying to speak directly with a Federal Student Aid agent. One service that's helped many families get through is Claimyr (claimyr.com). They can connect you to an actual person at the FSA office without the endless hold times. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

Thanks for the suggestion. At this point I'll try anything. The college financial aid office keeps telling us to contact FSA directly but we can never get through.

I work in college admissions and from what we're hearing informally, ED is considering another delay but probably not as extensive as last year's. The most likely scenario is a November 1 or November 15 launch date for the 25-26 FAFSA, though nothing is confirmed yet. They're trying to balance giving themselves enough time to fix remaining issues while not delaying too far into the application cycle. Either way, I strongly recommend gathering all your 2023 tax information and making a list of all your financial accounts now so you're ready regardless of when it opens.

Wait, so we'll need 2023 tax info for the 2025-2026 FAFSA? Not 2024 taxes? I'm confused about which year's information they need.

Great question - and this confuses many families. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA (for students attending college from Fall 2025 through Spring 2026), you'll need 2023 tax information. The FAFSA always uses the

Thanks everyone for the information! I'll keep an eye out for official announcements and make sure we're prepared with our 2023 tax info. I hope they at least give us some advance notice about when it will open instead of just surprising everyone like last time.

btw my sons advisor also said to double check for any weird glitches with the parent contributor section. apparently that was causing problems for a lot of people last time. good luck!!!

guys i dont meen to change the subject but has anyone filled out the CSS Profile too? my daughter needs it for 3 of her schools and im wondering if its going to be just as messy as the FAFSA or if its easier? thx

The CSS Profile is different from the FAFSA - it's administered by the College Board rather than the federal government. It typically opens on October 1st regardless of when the FAFSA opens, and it's generally more detailed about your financial situation. You'll need to pay a fee for the first school and a smaller fee for each additional school, though fee waivers are available for eligible families. Since it asks for more detailed financial information, I'd suggest allowing at least 45-60 minutes to complete it.

thx for the info! sounds complicated but at least i know what to expect now