The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) team wishes you a Happy New Year! As we start 2025, NCAN is reflecting on all we accomplished in 2024, including our top blog posts that grabbed the attention of our readers, members, and the communities
we serve. Want to catch up on any blogs? You can find all of them here.
In August, the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced that the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) would open by December 1, 2024 with full, end-to-end functionality. FSA also announced that it would begin FAFSA testing cycles
in selected locations starting in October and would grow the number of FAFSAs it tests over time. It’s no surprise that this headline-grabbing news topped our list of blog posts.
In November, FSA announced that the 2025-26 FAFSA was open to any student wishing to complete it. This came shortly following an announcement that it would expand FAFSA beta testing before December 1 to all students who wish to complete a 2025-26 FAFSA.
By this point, more than 22,000 students had successfully submitted a FAFSA during the test period. This article’s second place finish comes is unsurprising
given the gravity of the news.
At the end of March, the White House and the US Department of Education (ED) announced a FAFSA Week of Action, which took place April 15-19. The announcement came as advocates across the country were calling with increased urgency for a concerted effort
from all stakeholders and at all levels to assist students and families with completing the 2024-25 award year FAFSA. Read this blog post which rounded out our top three.
A post from January dug into the worrying data that showed FAFSA submissions for the class of 2024 were down about 57% compared to 2023, and the national FAFSA submission rate stood at just 16% through January 26. This slow start aligned with the experiences
of students, families, and practitioners across the country who have struggled over the past month with the 2024-25 cycle FAFSA’s delayed launch and hiccupping rollout. Read this blog post here.
FSA released updated guidance in early January for answering the FAFSA question about a student’s receipt of free/reduced school lunch programs (FRPL). This question is important because those who indicate on the FAFSA that they received FRPL can skip
FAFSA questions about financial assets. For families with incomes under $60,000, this updated guidance has no effect, as they would not have been required to report assets on the FAFSA anyway. Read the blog post here.
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