The Department of Education has launched the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) earlier than ever before, aiming to help families tackle rising college costs and get a head start on financial aid for the 2027-2028 school year. Millions of American families rely on the FAFSA to access funding for higher education, and officials say the new form is now the simplest it has ever been.

Nicholas Kent, Under Secretary for Higher Education, told ABC News in an exclusive interview that the application process is now much faster: "Instead of it taking hours or even days to fill out, it takes 15 minutes on average."

The department has removed confusing language and added user-friendly features, such as the ability for students to invite contributors—like parents or spouses—to complete their sections via text or email. The form is available now at studentaid.gov.

This is the second year in a row the department has launched FAFSA before the mandated October 1 deadline, a requirement set by the FAFSA Simplification Act of 2020, which was passed in the final weeks of President Donald Trump's first term. The law streamlined the application process and expanded aid, especially Pell Grants for low-income students.

Major changes to the form include a reduction in the number of questions from 108 to as few as 46, depending on a student's situation, and a switch from the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to the Student Aid Index (SAI) for assessing aid eligibility. Consent is now required from all contributors for the automatic transfer of tax information from the Internal Revenue Service, further simplifying the process for most applicants. The application will also be available in more languages, expanding from just English and Spanish to the 11 most common languages spoken by English learner students and their families, starting with the 2024-25 cycle, according to Howard University Financial Services.

Kent encouraged families to take advantage of the easier process, noting, "We don't want students leaving money on the table. There's a lot of money out there in higher education. We want students to take advantage of it. And it starts with filling out the FAFSA form."

The Department of Education plans to send reminders to students who have not completed an application but have filed FAFSA in previous years. Families are being urged to complete the form as soon as possible to maximize their chances of receiving aid, as new policies continue to be implemented under federal law.

Kix Layton