The U.S. Department of Education announced on Thursday that the next version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is functioning effectively and is likely to be made available to students online “in the coming days.”

This updated release timeline is slightly ahead of previous estimates, allowing families eager to fill out the FAFSA for the 2025-26 academic year to do so earlier.

Following previous delays and issues seen in the last enrollment period, federal officials have intensified efforts to refine the FAFSA process, which students across the country must complete to receive federal financial aid for college.

To prevent further disruptions, the Education Department has methodically introduced the latest version of the application, which is updated annually. As of early October, over 14,000 FAFSA forms have been successfully processed, according to the department. In this trial phase, the department collaborated with select colleges and focused on specific groups of applicants, including those from mixed-status families and individuals without stable housing.

During a call with reporters on Thursday, Jeremy Singer, an executive from the College Board enlisted by the Education Department to enhance the FAFSA process, stated that the department’s “systems have been thoroughly tested and are ready for deployment.”

“We are in a vastly improved position compared to the last enrollment cycle,” he added.

Although officials did not provide a specific date for when the FAFSA would be broadly accessible online, they expressed confidence that it would be available by the end of November, possibly by the end of next week.