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The U.S. Department of Education began free applications for the federal student aid form Wednesday, a week before its forecast release date for October 1st. Early launches may help more students gain access to the university, experts say.
Completing the FAFSA is the only way to leverage federal aid funds for higher education, including federal student loans, work studies, and grants.
“Given the previous glitches, delays and confusion, getting FAFSA on time and not just delivering it early is a big win,” said Rick Castellano, spokesman for Sally May.
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In part, the completion rates fell last year due to previous complications of the new form, which first began several months later in late December 2023.
According to Sally May’s recent Howa-A-College for College Report, a university report surveying 2,000 college students and their parents found that only 71% of the previous cycle submitted FAFSAs in the 2024-25 academic year.
“I hopefully, these numbers will tilt in the right direction,” Castellano said.
Additionally, early college students and their families are more likely to receive their help the more they fill out the form, Castellano said. This is because some financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, or from programs with limited funding.
“Submitting early means that students and families can also receive previous financial assistance offers from the school.
For many families, financial aid is important when it comes to covering university costs. Grants including federal governments such as Pelgrant have become the most important support, as they usually don’t have to be repaid.
According to the National College Attainment Network or NCAN, FAFSA submissions are also one of the best predictors of whether high school seniors will advance to college. According to a NCAN survey of data from 2013, seniors completing FAFSA are 84% more likely to enter university right after high school.
“This is great news for students who have enough time to complete their form and ensure all the qualifying financial support,” said Kim Cook, CEO of the National College Attainment Network. “We praise the team’s efforts and look forward to achieving record number of FAFSA completions.”
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