The 2025-2026 FAFSA started today. Here are 5 things you need to know before you apply.

You can now complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid for 2025-26. Today, after months of testing, the Department of Education officially released a financial aid form to all students and their families. Submitting your form should be high on your priority list if you’re going to college next year, even if applying last year was a nightmare.

The 2024-25 FAFSA introduced an updated version of the financial aid application that was intended to make the process easier for students and their families. Unfortunately, its implementation was far from smooth. Many students have experienced significant delays, impacting their college plans.

The 2025-26 FAFSA initially appeared intended to address similar issues when the Oct. 1 release was pushed back, but additional rounds of testing appear to have gone more smoothly by incorporating feedback from students, parents and schools. The final round of testing, which began on November 18, was open to all students and participants. According to the DOE website, more than 140,000 students successfully applied during the testing period.

“More students are receiving federal financial aid this year compared to last year, and more students are receiving Pell Grants,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said during a news conference.

Despite all the challenges, experts still say it’s critical to fill out the FAFSA before heading off to college. This free form provides access to various types of federal financial aid, including grants, work-study, and student loans.

While technical difficulties with the FAFSA are beyond your control, here are a few steps you can take to ensure a smooth FAFSA application.

1. Submit the form as soon as possible

One of the best steps you can take when applying for financial aid is to fill out the FAFSA early. The form typically becomes available on October 1st of each year. However, the 2025-26 FAFSA only became available to a limited number of students in October while the Department of Education collected feedback and worked out technical issues. The department initially planned to release the release on December 1, but completed testing ahead of schedule.

If you’re already thinking about applying next year, a senior Department of Education official said they expect the 2026-2027 FAFSA to be released on time again, October 1, 2025.

It is important to apply as soon as possible because some financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. If you wait too long, you may receive significantly less financial aid than if you applied earlier.

It is also important to submit the FAFSA ahead of college and state deadlines. Each school sets its own FAFSA deadlines, but they often fall between January and March. You can check your state’s deadlines on the Federal Student Aid website.

2. Create your FSA ID.

Before you can begin filling out the FAFSA, you will need to create an account on the StudentAid.gov website. This includes setting up an FSA ID, which is your unique username and password.

“The student and sponsors should obtain an FSA as soon as possible, even before the start date (FAFSA),” said financial aid expert Mark Kantrowitz.

Everyone contributing to the FAFSA will need their own FSA ID. If you are a dependent student, this means that both you and at least one parent will need your own FSA ID. A senior education official noted that one of the common problems encountered during FAFSA testing was that parents did not create their own FSA ID, which takes time to be approved and can delay the application process.

If you are not a citizen of the Freely Associated States, you will need to enter your Social Security number to create a StudentAid.gov account. Parents are not required to have an SSN, but must enter their SSN if they have one.

According to Katie Mueller, executive director of Mapping Your Future, a financial literacy organization, it’s important to enter the information correctly the first time.

“Unfortunately, some of the problems that have arisen in the past have occurred when Social Security numbers and dates of birth were entered incorrectly,” she added.

3. Determine whether you are a dependent or independent student.

Dependent students must complete the FAFSA with at least one parent, while independent students may complete the FAFSA on their own. To determine your addiction status, you can ask yourself a number of questions, such as:

• Are you 24 years old or older?

• Are you pursuing a master’s or doctorate degree?

• Are you a veteran or currently serving on active duty in the United States Armed Forces?

• Were you an orphan, a ward of the state, or in foster care before age 13?

• You are married?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you can be considered an independent student. If your answer is no, you are a dependent student.

Dependent students must complete the FAFSA with the assistance of at least one parent. For example, if your parents are married and file taxes jointly, only one parent needs to contribute to the form (although they will need to report information for both parents). If your parents are married and filing taxes separately, both will have to contribute to the FAFSA.

Please note that students and parents complete separate sections of the FAFSA. Make sure you are working on the correct section to avoid mistakes. The Federal Student Aid website suggests that the student complete and save their section first before the parent begins theirs.

4. Gather information in advance

Organizing all important documents ahead of time can help make filing the FAFSA easier. The FAFSA will ask for contact information for you and your sponsor, as well as details about your finances. Some of the information you may need is:

• Tax returns from two years ago

• Current balances on any bank accounts

• Net worth of investments, businesses and farms

• Child support records

In the new version of the FAFSA, you must agree to have federal tax information sent directly to the form using Financial Aid Direct’s data exchange system. Opting out of this automatic transfer will disqualify you from receiving federal student aid, even if the contributor manually enters tax information on the form.

5. Check everything for accuracy

While the old FAFSA asked you 108 questions, the new FAFSA asks you significantly fewer. But although the form is shorter, there is no need to rush into it. The student help website says it will take less than an hour, but allow extra time to make sure you understand each question and answer accurately.

Filling out the entire form at once, rather than spreading it out over several days, can help prevent technical glitches and reduce inconsistency in your responses, Kantrowitz says.

Review everything to make sure all of your answers are correct before you hit submit. Errors can result in delays that could affect your financial aid amount.

Once you submit the FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Report that will summarize your FAFSA information and evaluate your financial aid eligibility. If you find any errors at this point, you may be able to correct them by logging into your StudentAid.gov account or contacting your college or professional school.

Where to go for help

Completing the FAFSA can seem daunting, especially if you’ve never done it before. Luckily, there are resources that can help you along the way.

On the FAFSA form, you will see various question mark icons that, when clicked, will tell you how to answer the question. You can also find answers to common questions in FAFSA Help and by chatting with Federal Student Aid virtual assistant Aidan.

If you would like to speak with a person, you can access live chat, email the Federal Student Aid Clearinghouse, or call 800-433-3243. Cardona said the contact center has added staff this year and will expand night and Saturday hours starting Nov. 22 through March 2, 2025.

Finally, you can seek help from your high school counselor or your college’s financial aid office.

By taking these steps and seeking help, you can ensure a smooth FAFSA application and maximize your chances of receiving financial aid.