The Free Application for Federal Student Aid for the 2025-26 school year went live in November, and if you haven’t applied for financial aid yet, you should move fast.

This year’s FAFSA includes a variety of improvements and fixes, such as a correction to a glitch that required parents who filed joint tax returns to each fill out the form, the Department of Education said in a press release. These changes come after last year’s disastrous rollout that left some students unable to receive the aid they needed for school.

Despite the past challenges, experts still say it’s crucial to fill out the FAFSA before heading to college. This free form unlocks access to various types of federal financial aid, including grants, work-study and student loans.

Here are some steps you can take for a smooth FAFSA application.

1. Submit your FAFSA form soon

One of the best moves you can make when pursuing financial aid is filling out the FAFSA early. Typically, the form becomes available on Oct. 1 each year. The 2025-26 FAFSA only became available to a limited number of students in October while the Department of Education collected feedback and worked through technical glitches. The department originally aimed for a release goal of Dec. 1 but completed testing early.

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If you’re already thinking about next year’s application, a senior official from the Department of Education said they expect the 2026-27 FAFSA to launch on time again on Oct. 1, 2025.

It’s important to submit your application as soon as you can because some financial aid is distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you wait too long, you could end up with significantly less financial assistance than if you had applied earlier.

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It’s also important to get your FAFSA in ahead of your college and state deadlines. Each school sets its own FAFSA deadlines, but they often fall sometime between January and March. You can check your state’s deadline on the Federal Student Aid website.

2. Sign up for an FSA ID

Before you can start filling out the FAFSA, you’ll need to create your account on the StudentAid.gov website. This includes setting an FSA ID, which is your unique username and password.

“The student and contributors should obtain an FSA ID as soon as possible,” said financial aid expert Mark Kantrowitz.

Anyone who contributes to the FAFSA will need their own FSA ID. If you’re a dependent student, that means that both you and at least one parent will each need your own FSA ID. A senior education official noted that one of the frequent issues encountered during FAFSA testing was that parents hadn’t created their own FSA ID, which takes time to be approved and can delay the application process.

Unless you’re a citizen of the Freely Associated States, you’ll have to enter your Social Security number to create your StudentAid.gov account. Parents don’t need to have an SSN, but they must enter their SSN if they have one.

It’s essential that you enter the information correctly the first time, according to Cathy Mueller, executive director of Mapping Your Future, a financial aid literacy organization.

“Unfortunately, some of the problems encountered in the past have occurred when Social Security numbers and dates of birth were entered incorrectly,” she added.

3. Know your dependency status

Dependent students must fill out the FAFSA with at least one parent, while independent students can fill out the FAFSA on their own. There are a number of questions you can ask yourself to determine your dependency statussuch as:

• Are you 24 or older?

• Are you pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree?

• Are you a veteran or currently serving on active duty in the U.S. armed forces?

• Were you an orphan, a ward of the state or in foster care before the age of 13?

• Are you married?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you could be considered an independent student. If your answer is no, you’re a dependent student.

Dependent students must fill out the FAFSA with the help of at least one parent. If your parents are married and filed taxes jointly, for instance, only one parent needs to contribute to the form (although they need to report information for both parents). If your parents are married and filed taxes separately, then both will need to contribute to the FAFSA.

Note that students and parents fill out separate sections of the FAFSA. Make sure you’re working on the right section to avoid errors. The Federal Student Aid site suggests having the student complete and save their section first before the parent starts on theirs.

4. Organize before you start filling out the form

Having all your important documents organized ahead of time can help make for a smoother FAFSA application. The FAFSA will ask for your and your contributor’s contact details, as well as details about your finances. Among the information you may need:

• Tax returns from two years prior

• Current balances of any bank accounts

• Net worth of investments, businesses and farms

• Child support records

In the new version of the FAFSA, you must consent to transferring federal tax information directly into the form using the Financial Aid Direct Data Exchange. Refusing this automatic transfer will disqualify you from receiving federal student aid, even if a contributor enters tax information into the form manually.

5. Check and double-check for accuracy

The old FAFSA asked you 108 questions, but the new FAFSA asks significantly fewer. The form is shorter, but you don’t want to rush through it. The student aid website says it should take less than an hour to complete, but set aside extra time to make sure you understand each question and provide accurate answers.

Filling it out all at once, rather than spreading it out over several days, could help prevent technical glitches and reduce inconsistencies in your responses, Kantrowitz said.

Before you hit submit, review everything to ensure all your answers are correct. Errors could result in delays, which could impact your financial aid awards.

After you submit the FAFSA, you’ll receive your Student Aid Report, which will summarize your FAFSA details and estimate your eligibility for financial aid. If you spot any errors at this point, you may be able to fix them by logging into your StudentAid.gov account or contacting your college or career school.

What to do if you have questions about the FAFSA

Filling out the FAFSA can feel daunting, especially if you’ve never done it before. Fortunately, there are resources that can help you along the way.

Within your FAFSA form, you’ll see various question mark icons that, when clicked, provide tips on how to answer a question. You can also find answers to common questions at FAFSA Helpas well as via a chat with Federal Student Aid’s virtual assistant, Aidan.

If you want to speak with a human, you can access live chat, send an email to the Federal Student Aid Information Center or call 800-433-3243. The contact center increased staffing this year and expanded its nighttime and Saturday hours through March 2, 2025.

Finally, you can reach out to your high school counselor or your college’s financial aid office for help.

By taking these steps and seeking assistance along the way, you can ensure a smooth FAFSA application and maximize your chances for financial aid.