Free fafsa application download

• Learn About Financial Aid
  • Preparing for College
  • Types of Aid and Eligibility
  • The FAFSA ® Process
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      Home » 2025–26 FAFSA Form Coming Soon

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      2025–26 FAFSA Form Coming Soon

      The 2025–26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA ® ) form will be available to the public on or before Dec. 1, 2024.

      2025–26 FAFSA ® Beta Testing

      Before making the 2025–26 FAFSA form available to all students, we're conducting multiple beta tests to identify and resolve system errors that could derail the FAFSA process for students, contributors, and institutions of higher education.

      Starting Oct. 1, we'll make the 2025–26 form available to limited groups of students and institutions that have been selected to participate in the beta release. Participation in the beta release is by invitation only.

      Over time, we'll make the form available to an increasing number of participants and apply their feedback to improve the user experience and develop resources for counselors and college access professionals.

      Tips for Students Preparing To Fill Out the FAFSA ® Form

      Students should do the following to prepare for filling out the FAFSA form:

      • Create a StudentAid.gov account (if they don't already have one).
      • Have their documents ready (e.g., 2023 tax returns; records of child support received; current balances of cash, savings, and checking accounts; and net worth of investments, businesses, and farms).
      • Have their contributor information ready (e.g., first and last name, Social Security number [if they have one], date of birth, email address, and mailing address [if they don't have a Social Security number]).

      Resources for Reference and Outreach

      The resources below will be particularly useful as you prepare to help students with the FAFSA form. We'll continue to update this page with new resources as they become available.

      • 2025–26 FAFSA ® Prototype—Use the prototype to gain a deeper understanding of the 2025–26 FAFSA form user experience ahead of its release.