Wondering what's planned for the upcoming FAFSA® season? Or when that resource will be ready so you can use it with your students? You've come to the right place.
FAFSA®News and Enhancements
Changes on the 2026–27 FAFSA® Form
Availability of FAFSA® Materials and Websites
2026–27 FAFSA® Materials and Websites
2025–26 FAFSA® Materials and Websites
FAFSA® News and Enhancements
In the following sections of this page, you'll find the latest scoop on enhancements to the current FAFSA forms or plans for next year's FAFSA form.
Note: We'd like to request that you encourage students and parents to create a StudentAid.gov account as soon as possible before starting their FAFSA form. Send students and parents to StudentAid.gov/fsa-id/create-account to create an account username and password (FSA ID). Meanwhile, we've developed several resources to help you get the word out about the StudentAid.gov account.
Changes on the 2026–27 FAFSA® Form
The 2026–27 FAFSA changes include the following:
- In August and September, a select group of students had access to the 2026–27 FAFSA form through a nationwide beta testing phase. This early launch gave the U.S. Department of Education (ED) a chance to identify and fix technical issues before the form went live.
- A new StudentAid.gov account will be verified immediately with the Social Security Administration—no more waiting up to three days.
- Students need only a contributor's email address to invite them to fill out the FAFSA form.
Tell your students: the first F in "FAFSA" stands for "free!" There are websites at which students can get help filing the FAFSA® form for a fee. These sites are not affiliated with or endorsed by ED. We urge you to advise your students not to pay these sites for assistance that is provided for free at ED's website.
Availability of FAFSA® Materials and Websites
FAFSA documents and websites become available in the summer and fall. Keep up with anticipated availability here.
2026–27 FAFSA® Materials and Websites
| FAFSA® Document or Website | Availability Estimate |
|---|---|
| fafsa.gov | Available now |
| FAFSA PDF (English) | Available now |
| FAFSA PDF (Spanish) | Available now |
| FAFSA Submission Summary sample (English and Spanish) | Soon after the 2026–27 FAFSA form launches |
| 2026–27 FAFSA® Prototype | Available now |
| 2026–27 Counselors and Mentors Handbook on Federal Student Aid | Available now |
| 2026–27 FAFSA® Preview Presentation | Available now |
| 2026–27 Student Aid Index (SAI) and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide | Available now |
| Volume 1 of the FAFSA Specification Guide (FAFSA summary of changes) | Available now |
| School Code Search (English and Spanish) | Available now |
2025–26 FAFSA® Materials and Websites
| FAFSA® Document or Website | Availability Estimate |
|---|---|
| fafsa.gov | Available now |
| FAFSA PDF (English) | Available now |
| FAFSA PDF (Spanish) | Available now |
| FAFSA Submission Summary sample (English) | Available now |
| FAFSA Submission Summary sample (Spanish) | Available now |
| 2025–26 FAFSA® Prototype | Available now |
| 2025–26 FAFSA® Preview Presentation | Available now |
| 2025–26 Student Aid Index (SAI) and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide | Available now | Volume 1 of the FAFSA Specification Guide (FAFSA summary of changes) | Available now |
| School Code Search (English and Spanish) | Available now |