February 2026

Students can access more state aid applications directly through more links

January 2026

Students complete a streamlined signature process that reduces application rejections

January 2026

Students receive an email encouraging them to send their information to additional schools if they sent their FAFSA information to only one college or university

December 2025

Setting up a StudentAid.gov account is now simpler for students and contributors, with fewer screens and data elements, no challenge questions, preferred language choice moved to the front of the process, an easier way to claim phone numbers, and direct dashboard access with no re-authentication required.

December 2025

First-year students filing a FAFSA start receiving an indicator on their FAFSA Submission Summary if they listed a “low earnings” institution. The flag indicates that median earnings from graduates are lower than the typical earnings of a high school graduate. No action is required– the flag is informational.

September 2025

The FAFSA officially opens prior to the standard October 1 start date for the first time in history.

September 2025

Students stop seeing the four onboarding screens in the student and contributor sections of the FAFSA, which continues to shorten the form.

August 2025

The contributor invitation process is simpler for students completing the 2026–27 FAFSA and beyond. Students now only need to provide an email address, and the new process generates an access code contributors use to complete their section of the form.

June2025

Students and contributors with a Social Security Number (SSN) begin to be instantly verified by the Social Security Administration, eliminating the multi-day waiting person and allowing FAFSAs to be completed in one sitting.

June 2025

A new identity verification process now requires institutions to collect documents or host a virtual meeting to confirm the identity of students flagged for potential fraud before determining their aid eligibility.

January-April 2025

Major functionality processes are enhanced including FAFSA processing begins (March), corrections process opens to students and FSA waives the verification process for those contributors without an SSN so they can access the FAFSA (April).

January 2024

Contributors without an SSN are unable to access the FAFSA form.

January 2024

The 2024-25 FAFSA delayed opening occurs with actual FAFSA processing starting in March 2024

January 2024

Almost all students and contributors begin having their financial information transferred directly from the IRS to the FAFSA, dramatically streamlining the process and eliminating the need to enter information from W-2s and other tax and financial statements.

December 2024

A new Issues/Alerts webpage with explanations and workarounds helps students navigate FAFSA challenges in preparation for delayed opening

November 2023

Students are encouraged to refer to the FSAID by the name “StudentAid.gov account.”

October 2023

The Student Aid Index(SAI) replaces the Expected Family Contribution(EFC) and formula adjustments go into effect, significantly increasing the number of Pell-eligible and max Pell-eligible students for students applying for student aid in the 2024-25 academic year and beyond.

December 2020

The FAFSA Simplification Act, which streamlined the FAFSA and made the SAI formula much more generous, is signed into law. Changes will begin with the 2023-24 FAFSA.

December 2019

The FUTURE Act is signed into law allowing direct transfer of financial information from the IRS into the FAFSA, a major improvement from the Data Retrieval Tool (DRT).

May 2015

Students transition from PIN number to FSA ID account for secure access to FAFSA

2011

Students may opt in to use the DRT, dramatically simplifying the process of getting their income information transferred to FAFSA from the IRS

2001

Security enhancements are instituted, requiring students to establish a PIN number when accessing online FAFSA by student, spouse, or parent.

1997

FAFSA on the Web launched to allow students to complete the form online.

1992

Congress creates the paper FAFSA to allow students to apply for federal student aid.