College aid expert predicts that the FAFSA rollout will be a success next year.

• The launch of the 2025-26 FAFSA will be delayed as the Education Department continues to address the challenges faced during this year's rollout.
• Many families rely on financial aid to cover the soaring college costs, which have now reached six figures.
• Reports show students and parents are turning to students loans even more.

The launch of the new FAFSA was a disaster, and some college students are still unsure about their fall aid awards.

Beth Maglione, interim president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, stated that the Department's poor planning has resulted in a failure to provide financial aid dollars to some college students, which may hinder their ability to start classes in the upcoming weeks.

The federal student aid application form for next year will be delayed, as announced by the U.S. Department of Education.

A 'new approach' for the 2025-26 FAFSA

The Education Department announced that the 2025-26 FAFSA will be available to applicants on or before Dec. 1, with a phased rollout starting on Oct. 1 to address system errors that can affect millions of students.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced that the Department of Education has made substantial changes to leadership and operations at Federal Student Aid and is taking a new approach this year to significantly improve the FAFSA experience, following a challenging 2024-25 FAFSA cycle.

Harvard is once again the top "dream" school, while more colleges are introducing no-loan policies.

Mark Kantrowitz, a higher education expert, expressed doubt that the department would successfully tackle the issues with this year's federal student aid application in the near future, let alone those that may arise in the following year.

Kantrowitz stated that with over 20 unresolved issues from the 2024-25 FAFSA, it is uncertain whether the 2024-25 FAFSA will be fully implemented by October 1 or December 1, let alone the 2025-26 FAFSA.

"Even though the U.S. Department of Education claims it will accomplish the task by December 1, it doesn't guarantee timely completion," he stated.

Families 'are falling back on borrowing for college'

Many families rely on financial aid to cover the soaring college costs, which have now reached six figures.

The FAFSA is the key to accessing all federal aid funds, including federal student loans, work study, and especially grants, which are increasingly important because they do not require repayment.

According to Sallie Mae's recent report, students are increasingly relying on loans to pay for college, and the number of parents taking out federal parent PLUS loans has also increased.

In times of economic hardship, families are increasingly relying on borrowing for college, according to Jennifer Berg, vice president of public affairs for market research firm Ipsos, which collaborated with Sallie Mae on the report.

Berg stated that the FAFSA becomes significant at that point.

Experts suggest prioritizing the full functionality of the FAFSA for next year, even if it means a delayed start, they say.

The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators' Maglione stated that the ongoing aftershocks of this year's FAFSA rollout highlight the importance of thoroughly testing the process from start to finish.

While a trustworthy FAFSA is crucial, Kim Cook, CEO of the National College Attainment Network, acknowledges the trade-off between functionality and the release date is challenging, but it's worth it as long as the FAFSA is fully operational by December 1.

Cook stated that our students must be aware of their ability to attend college and maintain their enrollment trajectory.