Students are completing the beta-test version of the 2025-26 FAFSA without encountering any critical errors and students are receiving the records of those students.
Along with sharing the results of the first round of the 2025-26 FAFSA beta tests, the U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday announced the launch of the second stage of testing, Beta 2.
“Over the last two weeks through the first stage of testing, thanks to the help of community-based organizations, hundreds of students across the country successfully submitted their FAFSA form, the Department processed these forms, and institutions were able to access the records sent to them.” Kaitlyn Vitez, Higher Education Liaison for the Department’s Office of Communications and Outreach, said in a letter to the financial aid community. “Students were also able to make corrections to their forms. Throughout this process, the Department did not uncover any critical bugs.”
In the letter, Vitez said FAFSA submissions from students who participated in the first round of beta tests will continue as the forms are completed and submitted. In addition, the testing also revealed opportunities to improve the usability of the FAFSA form. Which, according to Vitez, “was expected given that the Department has prioritized the stability of the application.”
“Improving usability will continue to be a focus of the Department following the full launch of the FAFSA form on or before December 1,” Vitez said in the letter.
Department staff were on site to observe and support students and families in six cities across the country – Birmingham, Alabama; Santa Barbara, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Dallas, Texas; Alexandria, Virginia – during FAFSA events from October 1–3 as hundreds of students and their families, as well as staff from community-based organizations and local colleges, gathered in school gymnasiums and auditoriums to complete and submit the 2025–26 FAFSA form and provide feedback about the experience.
Vitez reported the following results from the beta-test events held in six cities from October 1 to October 3:
- Over 650 students successfully submitted applications
- 586 unique institutions received 6,266 ISIRs generated by those applications
- Dozens of student corrections were successfully completed
Under the second round of testing, which was launched this week,16 organizations will recruit thousands of students. Half of the organizations are institutions of higher education that will ask their current students to submit the FAFSA form as returning students for the 2025–26 cycle – which will mark the first time returning students take part in beta testing. These institutions of higher education will also begin downloading and testing ISIRs to the extent that their financial aid systems are able to do so.
