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The U.S. Department of Education recently announced that the 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be available to all students by Oct. 1.
In the meantime, the agency is beta testing the form through September to ensure its systems are operating properly, the department said.
Students can request access to join the beta test now on the FAFSA website. If a student submits their form during the beta test, they will not be required to resubmit the form for the 2026–27 academic year later in the year. Individuals will receive an email invitation to participate in the test if selected.
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Completing the FAFSA makes students eligible for federal aid, including Pell Grants and work-study programs, as well as the Next NC Scholarship, which covers tuition and fees at any North Carolina community college for students from most families making $80,000 a year or less. If interested in a public university, the Next NC scholarship covers more than half of the cost of tuition and fees.
This year’s beta testing comes after a series of glitches and delays derailed the new FAFSA in 2024-25, which caused stress for students and families seeking financial aid to pay for college. Those glitches particularly impacted students from mixed-status families, or those whose parents don’t have a social security number. By the time beta testing concluded for the 2025-26 FAFSA last year, the department said all major glitches had been resolved.
This year’s form is now in its second round of beta testing; the first ended on Friday.
For notifications about resources and announcements, you can follow Federal Student Aid on social media: on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram.
“We’ll email students (and parents of dependent students) who applied on the 2025–26 form, reminding them to apply for 2026–27,” the release said. “To ensure you receive updates, log in to your StudentAid.gov account and confirm that we have your current email address.”
Changes to expect
On Aug. 15, 2025, the department outlined the following key changes to the FAFSA form and Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria, as required by recent statutory changes to the federal student aid programs included in Pub. L. 119-21, the federal budget reconciliation act.
More resources for FAFSA application
- FAFSA FAQ page
- Financial Aid Toolkit: Updated resources for school counselors, college access professionals, and mentors with information about the FAFSA process.
- FAFSA Issue Alerts page: A list of known issues with the form updated in real-time as bugs are fixed in beta testing.
- FAFSA videos: Updated videos to help students and families understand the importance of the FAFSA, who is a FAFSA contributor, and what happens after submitting the form:
- The College Foundation of North Carolina
- North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority
- Federal Student Aid
If you are a student reapplying for the FAFSA, your college’s counseling office is also a great resource.
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