Things have changed since President Trump’s team took over at the Department of Education, and that includes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid rollout.
The department released Tuesday a status report on the financial aid form, saying the 2026-27 FAFSA is on track for an on-time Oct. 1 launch following a year in which the Biden administration put students in a bind by blowing the 2024-25 deadline.
Another difference: The 2026-27 form will no longer offer the “nonbinary” option for gender identification added in 2023.
Acting Undersecretary James Bergeron said that the Trump administration “will correct the failures of the last Administration and ensure students and families can easily access the FAFSA form in a timely manner.
“Resolving ongoing problems with the 2024–25 form, reflecting biological reality by referencing sex identifiers, and beginning the process for the 2026–27 form on-time will allow the Department to earn back the trust of the American people,” he said. “Families and students depend on the FAFSA form to plan their futures, and any release delays or unnecessary politicization of the form is wholly unacceptable.”
The department published the 2026-27 form Tuesday in the Federal Register, the first public step in the process. Comments for suggested improvements are due April 7.
In addition, the department said it is undergoing beta testing to gauge “the ability of colleges and universities to make batch corrections to FAFSA forms.”
“Ensuring a timely and smooth FAFSA process is a top priority for the Trump Administration,” said the department. “The FAFSA technical team has been hard at work to improve the FAFSA form for all students and their families.”
The Biden administration’s failure to update the FAFSA form by the October 2024 deadline left tens of thousands of students in the dark about their financial-aid eligibility, resulting in a drop in college applications, particularly among low-income students.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.