The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opened on September 25, 2025, for the 2026-27 application cycle. Students applying to college can now fill out the form to determine their eligibility for financial aid from the government.

The FAFSA offers both grants and loans to eligible students. Eligibility requirements include having financial need, being a US citizen or eligible noncitizen, and enrolling in a college or trade school. 

The Trump administration’s Big Beautiful Bill has made some changes to the FAFSA and financial aid processes. Notably, the bill limits the amount of loans a student can take out in total and alters payment plans. NPR News lays out many of the changes in an article from July.

Filling out the FAFSA requires collecting personal financial information. Ms. Norwood, the financial aid advisor for Leesville, said, over email, “The FAFSA is an easy application… The student and one parent need a Federal Student Aid ID to complete the FAFSA. Also, a student must have a social security number… Financial information is gathered about the family and an IRS Direct Data Tool is used for retrieving 2024 tax information.”

The FAFSA contains portions for both the student and parent to fill out. Meklit Yeshitla, a Leesville graduate from the class of 2025, said, over text, “Sit down with your parents and do it together. Since you need so much information and paper work from them, it makes the whole process way easier and less stressful.”

Many other financial aid processes also use the FAFSA to determine a student’s eligibility. “The FAFSA is a really great place to start when applying for scholarships… a lot of need-based scholarships actually require you to have the FAFSA to even apply, so even if you don’t end up getting direct aid, it doesn’t hurt to fill it out,” said Yeshitla. 

Filling out the FAFSA is an important part of the process of paying for college, and interested students should start their application as soon as possible. 

“Choose a school that fits your budget… Apply for scholarships and always be a life-long learner,” said Norwood.

Darcy Meehan, editor in chief, 2025-26

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