FAFSA 2025-26 beta testing experience - way smoother than expected!

WAIT WHAT??!! There's a BETA testing program for 2025-26?? How did you get selected? We're trying to plan ahead after the absolute nightmare we had last year (took us literally 3 months to get through because of all the errors). I need details on how to get into this!

congrats on getting in early! did they say if your SAI will be calculated faster too? that was the worst part last year for us, the actual form wasnt too bad but then waiting FOREVER for the calculation

I work with college financial aid offices, and I can confirm the Department of Education is running a limited beta test of the 2025-26 FAFSA platform. They're selecting a diverse group of families to test the system before the official October 1st launch. The improvements include a more streamlined contributor section, better income verification tools, and significantly improved error handling. They're directly addressing the issues that plagued the 2024-25 rollout. If you weren't selected for beta testing, I suggest creating your FSA ID now (both student and contributors) so you're ready when the application officially opens. Also, gather your 2023 tax information since that's what you'll need for the 2025-26 FAFSA.

is the parent contribution section better?? thats where we got stuck for WEEKS last year. my dad kept getting errors when trying to link his tax info

This is such a relief to hear! I'm a high school counselor and last year was absolute chaos with the FAFSA problems. So many of our students missed priority deadlines because of the delays. Could you share more specific improvements you noticed? Were there any parts that still seemed confusing or problematic? I'm trying to prepare my students for what to expect this fall.

Has anyone else in the beta program gotten their SAI calculation yet? We submitted ours through the beta 3 days ago and nothing yet. Starting to worry that the backend processing is still slow even if the form itself is better.

For anyone not in the beta program who's anxious about reaching Federal Student Aid for help with the upcoming FAFSA application, I highly recommend Claimyr. I used it last year when I couldn't get through to anyone about my verification issues. It basically holds your place in the phone queue and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me hours of waiting on hold! Check out their demo video to see how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ or visit claimyr.com. With all the changes to the 2025-26 FAFSA, having a way to actually reach a live person might be really helpful.

did u notice if they fixed the sibling in college problem? last year my brother was in college too and it was supposed to help our aid but the system never counted him right

@OP - Great feedback on the beta experience. To address the sibling in college question: The 2025-26 FAFSA does have improved functionality for reporting multiple students in college, but it's important to understand that the FAFSA Simplification Act has permanently changed how this affects your SAI calculation. Under the new formula, having multiple students in college has a much smaller impact on your aid eligibility than under the old system. This isn't a technical issue - it's an intentional policy change. As for the dependency override question you mentioned was still confusing, students should work directly with their financial aid office for these special circumstances rather than trying to address it entirely through the FAFSA form.

I'm glad to hear the process is improving! For those who weren't selected for the beta but want to prepare, I recommend using the FAFSA preview worksheet available on studentaid.gov. While it might not show the exact new interface, it will help you gather all the necessary information before October 1st. The Federal Student Aid office has indicated they're making significant improvements to both the user interface and backend processing systems for the 2025-26 application cycle.