Students are now able to complete the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, which was officially released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Education, 10 days before its Dec. 1 launch goal.

In an email sent to Kent State students Tuesday, the university said it encourages students to fill out the form as soon as they’re ready. 

The Department of Education stated in a press release that it has taken feedback from students, parents and schools and “comprehensively tested the FAFSA form, system and user supports at scale through a rigorous beta testing period” to make sure there are no major issues completing the application.

After an effort by the department to streamline the application process and make the form easier to use, many technical issues and errors occurred last winter for students and families causing frustration and delays for financial aid being awarded.

Now that the site has been updated and tested, the Department of Education said the FAFSA system should be easier for families to navigate.

“I’m pleased to announce that after four successful rounds of beta testing, the 2025–26 FAFSA form is now available to all students and families,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a press release Thursday by the Department of Education. “After months of hard work and lots of feedback from students, schools and other stakeholders, we can say with confidence that FAFSA is working and will serve as the gateway to college access and affordability to millions of students.”

Colleges and career schools use the FAFSA form to calculate how much financial aid students are eligible to receive. Different types of aid can include grants, scholarships and loans.

Students can complete the form online by visiting studentaid.gov, and can direct their questions to the Kent State FAFSA website or Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center. 

Aden Graves is a campus editor. Contact him at [email protected].

Jillian Flack is a KSTV reporter. Contact her at [email protected]