Good news for NJ students: FAFSA opens Oct. 1 for the 2026-27 school year

💲 The FAFSA form for the 2026-27 school year will be ready by Oct. 1

💲 Students and parents can, however, apply during the beta testing

💲 If you submit during beta, there is no need to reapply

Do you have kids in college and need to file the FAFSA for next year?

Good news.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid will be available in October for the 2026-2027 academic year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

The FAFSA form is currently in beta for early testing, but will be available to everyone by Oct. 1.

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Beta testing

The first phase of testing is completed and the second phase of testing is now open and runs through Sept. 2025. Anyone can request to participate in the beta phase, according to the department’s website.

Beta testing is important because it allows U.S. education officials to monitor a limited number of FAFSA submissions to ensure the systems are performing up to par.

The good news is that if you do submit the FAFSA form during the beta, you won’t need to resubmit once the form goes public in October.

Why is this good news?

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon touted President Donald Trump’s leadership as the reason for the earliest testing launch of the FAFSA form in history.

Now, colleges and universities, as well as students and parents should receive their financial aid offers in a timely manner, so as to help them make a decision about what school to attend come College Decision Day on May 1.

The FAFSA form was revamped under the Biden administration for the 2024-25 school year. However, it was plagued with technical issues due to a major overhaul mandated by the FAFSA Simplification Act.

This pushed the launch date back from the typical Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, which disrupted the normal timeline for financial aid offers.

Colleges and universities did not receive processed FAFSA data until March 2024, pushing financial aid award offers to April or later, the U.S. Department of Education confirmed.

Applying for the FAFSA

• The first step in applying for the FAFSA is to gather up all the necessary information. You’ll need your Social Security number, tax returns, bank statements, and records of untaxed income.
• Next, fill out the FAFSA form which can be found here. Be sure to provide information about your family’s financial situation including income and assets.
• Once the form is completed, submit the form to up to 20 colleges, and they will receive the information.
• Once the schools receive your FAFSA, they will send you an aid offer detailing the type and amount of aid you’re eligible for, including grants, loans, and work-study.
• Read all the offers over carefully. Then, respond to the aid offers and accept the aid you want to use. Grants and scholarships do not need to be repaid but student loans do (with interest after you leave school).

The FAFSA is free to fill out. Be sure to check with your chosen schools and the New Jersey financial aid agency for any specific deadlines.

Unfortunately, this is not a one-time deal. The FAFSA must be filled out every year you or your child is in college.

Good luck!

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