BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The U.S. Department of Education announced the 2025-26 FAFSA form will be launched through a new process later this fall.
This decision came after the launch of the revised 2024-2025 FAFSA form, which resulted in delays and headaches for parents, students, colleges and universities.
“The advantage of this cycle is that we know about the delay and we can anticipate that when it does launch officially, that those glitches and issues that occurred last year should no longer exist,” said Dr. Bradley Barnes, the Vice Provost of Enrollment Management at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The FAFSA application helps parents and students determine if they qualify for financial aid, such as grants and scholarships. Dr. Barnes says more than 30% of UAB enrollees are Pell Grant recipients, which is higher than the national average.
The rollout's glitches resulted in a 13% decline in FAFSA applications at UAB, according to Dr. Barnes. He hopes with the trial runs of 2025-2026 applications, the next rollout will be smoother for student filling out the form online.
“A number of students have given up and did not complete the FAFSA because of the frustration and confusion, and that’s the biggest concern," Dr. Barnes said. “It impacts different institutions according to their demographics and student needs. So I would say that UAB was disproportionately impacted compared to other schools.”
Senior Mya Coleman says UAB officials worked with her to get her financial aid package sorted out within two months.
“I had to fill mine out twice because there were missing details that they didn’t put on there [that] they were penalizing students for," Coleman said. "So then scholarships couldn’t go through, financial aid was not coming through."
High school seniors will have to wait until at least Dec. 1 to fill out the 2025-2026 FAFSA application. Clay-Chalkville High School counselor Erica Devaughn advises those worried about another rollout disaster to remain calm.
“Take a deep breath, it’s going to be okay. The schools are going to adjust to what’s happening with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid," she said. "You’re still going to be able to be eligible for those scholarships for different opportunities.”
Devaughn added that it’s important for students to sign up for their Federal Student Aid ID, so they’ll be ready once the portal is open to all students by December.
UAB worked with students whose 2024-2025 applications were delayed, but they are not pushing back the deadline for early decision applications.
Students are encouraged to apply for admission and scholarships even while waiting on the U.S. Department of Education to launch the 2025-2026 FAFSA form. More information about how to apply for federal financial assistance can be found here.