How to increase your chances of receiving financial aid during the 2025-26 school year, despite FAFSA delays.

The 2025-26 school year may not be a return to normalcy for students, their families, and college financial aid administrators.

Beginning on Oct. 1, 2024, some families will be invited to participate in a testing group to ensure the electronic form and accompanying processes are fully functional by Dec. 1. After that, it will be open to everyone.

The phased rollout of the 2025-26 FAFSA form aims to identify and resolve system errors that can affect millions of students, contributors, and thousands of colleges, in line with software industry best practices.

Improving the FAFSA has proved a challenge

Despite the makeover of the FAFSA ahead of the 2024-25 application cycle, financial aid administrators continue to encounter numerous delays and technical issues, causing problems even as the school year quickly approaches.

Financial aid advocates preferred a delayed-yet-functional FAFSA application rather than an on-time and glitchy one, despite some discussion and a bill in the House between Congressional leaders and financial aid stakeholders about enacting legislation to ensure the FAFSA launched on Oct. 1 this year.

""The plan is to work out any problems during the two-month testing period, so that a good, working form will be available by December 1," Shannon Vasconcelos, senior director, college finance for Bright Horizons College Coach, tells CNBC Make It."

Starting from December 1st, families should immediately send their college application information to ED, which would be an improvement from last year when families were able to submit their FAFSAs in January but colleges didn't start receiving the information until March, causing further delays for students waiting to receive their financial aid packages.

1. Don't rush to be first to submit a FAFSA

In a typical year, it's advised to submit your FAFSA promptly to secure financial aid on a first-come, first-served basis. However, this year is not typical.

"If I were a student or family, I would not volunteer for the FAFSA process beginning in October due to the numerous issues we have seen this past year. We hope that these issues will be resolved by December 1, at which point we would consider participating."

Some families fear that they may not receive as much aid as they can if they apply later. However, Vasconcelos explains that there is some flexibility in the system. Typically, when colleges operate on a first-come first-served basis, it can take weeks or even months for students to apply for aid before they start reducing awards due to budget constraints.

Don't delay completing your FAFSA, but if you can't finish it by Dec. 1, it's not the end of the world.

2. Create an FSA ID now

Creating an FSA ID on the Federal Student Aid website is a step you can take ahead of time if you want to submit your FAFSA as soon as possible.

In order to fill out the FAFSA when it becomes available, both the student and at least one parent must have an FSA Id. All that is required is an email address and a Social Security number.

"Complete the procedural step of setting up your FAFSA now, so you're ready to go once it opens up to all," Vasconcelos advises.

3. Stay on top of school-specific deadlines and requirements

Financial aid application deadlines for colleges vary, and students should be mindful of these as the season approaches. There's a possibility that some schools may postpone their deadlines due to the recent FAFSA delays.

Some colleges have created their own financial aid applications due to the delays and hiccups experienced during last year's FAFSA rollout, according to Vasoncelos.

She predicts that more colleges may offer institutional aid applications, either as a requirement or simply as an option.

To ensure timely submission of the FAFSA form and receive financial aid for the upcoming school year, it is important to be aware of the various forms and their deadlines. While colleges are aware of common FAFSA issues, it is crucial to communicate any personal delays or difficulties in filling out the form on time with your school.