Federal student aid filing going 'remarkably well' in early days, officials say
By Brooklyn Draisey (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Despite fears of another cycle plagued with delays or other issues, financial aid experts are saying that the start of the new federal student aid filing period has gone smoothly, taking a weight off their and families’ shoulders.
Britannia Morey, vice president of marketing and communications for the Iowa College Access Network (ICAN), said this cycle is going “remarkably well” so far, with the system working as it should and no one having problems accessing or submitting information.
“I know we’re only a few days in, but so far so good,” Morey said. “It’s really, really nice.”
The 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, officially launched Nov. 21 for students and their families. According to the U.S. Department of Education , more than 167,000 students across the country submitted their FAFSA during beta testing of the program, which the department has already processed and sent to more than 5,200 institutions of higher education.
Changes to the FAFSA form and the information it required launched last year. The changes led to delays and glitches that left students in the dark about their aid and universities scrambling to provide them with information before they had to make their college decision.
ICAN saw people reach out about setting up FAFSA help appointments as soon as it launched, and so far there haven’t been issues with getting their information submitted. Morey said all areas of college readiness and preparedness programming have seen increased participation this year, an uptick that is signaling a return to normalcy after the COVID-19 pandemic decreased interest.
At this time last year, University of Northern Iowa Director of Financial Aid Tim Bakula said everyone was just waiting for the release of the FAFSA, which wouldn’t open until the end of the year. Now things are back to normal, he said, with the department helping students answer the usual questions to ensure they’re filing correctly, rather than fielding concerns about glitches or lack of access.
“The fact that we’re getting people to do it, and not seeing those types of complaints again is good,” Bakula said.
DMACC student Rorie Soper is transferring to Iowa State University this fall to pursue a degree in elementary education, a path she said she wouldn’t have taken without the FAFSA and ICAN’s aid in getting it submitted. While she didn’t experience any issues among last year’s delays and glitches, she said she knew people who experienced plenty of problems.
Soper got her FAFSA filed in under an hour, and said she had no problems.
Morey said some universities are already starting to receive financial information from those who have filed the FAFSA so far. They were warned that this area could be the one to still experience delays leftover from last year, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
While UNI won’t see individual students’ FAFSA results until early January due to the student information system the university uses, Bakula said more than 1,200 new and returning students have already submitted their forms and indicated that the university should receive their results.
If no delays or other problems come up, Bakula said incoming freshmen and transfer students should receive award information by late February or early March.
One area where there is still some confusion is the Federal Student Aid ID, Morey said, which students and their families need to have authorized before they can file the FAFSA. In the past, families have been able to get their FSA ID and submit their information at the same time. This is no longer the case, and it has caused some small delays among returning families while they wait for their ID to be verified.
“We’ve been communicating a lot about getting your student aid IDs at least three to five days prior to when you want to file the FAFSA so it can be verified, and then you can use it to sign your form,” Morey said.
In terms of the form itself, Morey said there haven’t been any “massive” changes from last year to now, which has also helped the filing process move along smoothly. ICAN is watching for communication from the U.S. Department of Education about any problems or updates that need to be made, but so far nothing has come up.
Nikki Hol, who stopped by the ICAN Ankeny office Thursday to file the FAFSA for her children, said last year went smoothly only because of the help she received from the organization. The delays she and other families experienced last cycle alongside universities were the biggest hurdle, she said, that led to them hearing back months later than usual.
Filing was once again a quick, easy process, Hol said, with the aid of ICAN. She expects to hear back about Pell Grant eligibility in the next month or two.
An easier start to the FAFSA cycle has helped financial aid officials and those working for networks like ICAN just as much as the students and families themselves, Morey said. Getting the FAFSA submitted is an incredibly important first step to starting or continuing a college education, and when there are no hiccups in getting it done, everyone leaves their appointments happier.
“When things don’t work like they’re supposed to, there’s increased stress and anxiety amongst students and families, and then that does trickle over into those trying to provide that help,” Morey said. “So the fact that it’s going relatively well so far, and that everything seems to be working, makes it all that much easier.”
