Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced that the 2026–27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form is online and available, marking the earliest launch in the program’s history.

Ahead of an upcoming GAO report, James Bergeron outlines recent improvements made to the FAFSA® form launch, including improvements to in-house expertise, shifting to a product-based delivery model, and restructuring vendor contracts.

In this Homeroom Blog, James Bergeron discusses the 2026–27 FAFSA® Beta 2 launch, and highlights resources shaping the future of student aid, as well as the importance of early testing and user feedback.

In this Homeroom Blog, James Bergeron discusses enhancements to the 2026-27 FAFSA® form and experience, including real-time identity verification, a simplified contributor invite process, and an upgraded virtual assistant.

In this Homeroom Blog, James Bergeron shares how the FAFSA® form has improved in the 2025-2026 cycle, and how ED continues to build toward a better FAFSA experience in the future.

Today, ED announced that more than 8 million 2025–26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) forms have been successfully submitted and processed, nearly a 50% increase on the number of applications submitted at this time last year.

Summary of archived questions and answers on the Program Integrity for verification.

The Better FAFSA is simplified, redesigned, and streamlined. It is faster and easier to fill out, with most students and families completing it in less than 15 minutes.