The U.S. Department of Education will soon begin the first phase of its beta testing period for the 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and one organization in Alexandria will be among the first to test the new form.
After changes to the FAFSA last year led to a delayed release and technical problems for users, Federal Student Aid is taking a phased approach to opening and testing the form this year.
The Scholarship Fund of Alexandria is one of six community organizations across the country that FSA chose to participate in the first testing phase, called Beta Test 1. It will host an event on October 2, where students will get to complete the new FAFSA form two months before it is open to the public.
This testing period will help “uncover and fix issues with the FAFSA form before the form is available to millions of students and their families,” said Jeremy Singer, FAFSA executive advisor, in a news release.
There will be more than 100 students at the Alexandria City High School event. Federal Student Aid representatives will monitor the experience and gather feedback about the technology and user experience.
“Participating in Beta Test 1 allows the SFA to serve ACHS families as they navigate the complicated financial aid process,” said Christine Miller, director of college advising at the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria. “We’re honored to have been chosen and appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the work to make the ’25-26 FAFSA a better experience for students and families.”
As part of a partnership with George Mason University, students at the Alexandria event can complete their GMU direct admission process at the same time.
Students participating in this event completed a pre-registration and registration process and have had their information verified by FSA. There will be no walk-ins or on-site registrations.
Other organizations participating in Beta Test 1 are Alabama Possible, Bridge 2 Life, CollegeAIM, Education is Freedom, and the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara. The DOE has not yet announced participants for the next three testing phases, which take place in mid-October, early November, and mid-November.
The 2025-2026 FAFSA becomes fully available to the public on December 1.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
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