The FAFSA application will open to the public on October 1st, 2026. There are some changes to the application that should be noted when comparing this year's FAFSA to years prior to 2023. Please see the list below:
Length of form: was 120 questions; now 36 questions
FSA ID: was created when you first started the form; now create it a week prior to completing the form
Forms needed: was tax forms, W-2's, or utilization of the data retrieval tool; now FUTURE Act Direct Data Exchange (FADDX) can be used, but having hard copies of financial information available will still help
Terminology for Aid: was EFC (Estimated Family Contribution); now SAI (Student Aid Index)
Asset Description: was - "The family business or family farm was sheltered as an asset"; now - you will need to report the adjusted value of the family business or family farm
Family Information: was "number of children in college mattered"; now, FAFSA has changed it so that the number children in college within a family does not matter (Note: Schools can adjust offers individually based on this information)
Unreported Income: depending on the situation, you may no longer need to report untaxed income on your FAFSA application, such as money received from family members
Timing: It will now take just 3 - 5 business days for your FAFSA form to be processed.