AP Photo|Manuel Balce Ceneta

This 2014 photo shows Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., holding the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form during an interview on Capitol Hill in Washington.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid used to be so long that the now-retired Sen. Lamar Alexander would ceremoniously unfurl a paper FAFSA over his podium when giving speeches as a visual reminder of how arduous it was for students to complete the form.

More than a decade ago, our team at the National College Attainment Network – where I serve as CEO – embarked on making the FAFSA easier for students and families to navigate.

This year, the FAFSA launched on time and is easier and faster for students and families to complete. In fact, it is so much improved that early data has the high school class of 2026 on track for a record-breaking FAFSA completion rate.

“FAFSA simplification” was born as a concept in 2012, when NCAN published its first brief laying out the vision for a faster and clearer process. That work sparked a decade of research and policy proposals, advocacy and testimonials from NCAN members, culminating in the passage of two laws championed by Alexander and people across the aisle. During his first term, President Donald Trump signed into law the FUTURE Act in 2019 and the FAFSA Simplification Act in 2020.

Before the improvements ushered in by those laws, students had to answer more than 100 questions to complete the form. In some years, up to 38% of FAFSA applicants had to submit additional tax documents to colleges for verification purposes, and students consistently said completing the form was one of the most frustrating parts of the college application process.

The FUTURE Act and the FAFSA Simplification Act reduced the number of questions on the form to 36 (some students only need to answer 18 questions), made it possible for the IRS to share tax data with the Department of Education and expanded Pell Grant eligibility to more students.

It now takes as little as 10 to 15 minutes to complete the FAFSA. The leaner, clearer application is setting the stage for more students to get the financial aid that opens the postsecondary pathways they want.

How College Student Aid Just Got Easier

An additional 1.7 million students are now eligible for maximum Pell Grants, compared to before FAFSA simplification. This means we should continue encouraging lower-income students worried about the price of college to complete the FAFSA, because they are likely to get help paying for college if they apply.

When we reduce barriers to college access, more students will apply and enroll. We are already seeing the benefits of a simpler FAFSA reflected in application and enrollment data. Fall 2025 undergraduate enrollment reached a 10-year high, and as of January, Common App shows that the number of college applicants for the 2026-27 academic year is 4% higher than the same time last year.

Common App’s data also shows that the students with the biggest jumps in applications and enrollment are first-generation, historically underrepresented and come from communities with the lowest median incomes. These are the students we wanted to make the financial aid process easier for.

Workers in the college access field also deserve credit for the increase in FAFSA completion and college applications. School counselors open computer labs before the first bell and host FAFSA nights. College access programs host weekend FAFSA workshops. State agencies have redesigned their outreach. District data teams track completion week by week and share the numbers with their schools. For example, in Tennessee, Anderson County High School is leading the pack this week. These efforts help students understand the aid the FAFSA unlocks, what the new FAFSA requires and what the next steps on their educational journeys will look like.

Colleges Should Teach Financial Literacy

K.L. AllenFeb. 2, 2026

FAFSA simplification shows what is possible when bipartisan policy, positive advocacy and sustained practice align.

Still, this victory lap cannot become a finish line. Simplification did not erase long-standing gaps in college access and attainment. Low-income students and students of color still complete the FAFSA and enroll in and complete college at lower rates than their peers. School counselors still carry heavy caseloads. Districts still need better data sharing to understand where students enroll and whether they persist. When we go further, we need to bring everyone with us.

It took until 2025 for FAFSA simplification to become a real, successful experience for students and families, but we’re here. The challenge now is to treat this year not as an outlier but as the first chapter in giving every student the freedom to choose college after high school without finances presenting an insurmountable barrier.

Kim Cook is the CEO of the National College Attainment Network, an association of more than 500 college access and success programs that help students complete the FAFSA and pursue a postsecondary degree.

Join the Conversation

Tags: FAFSA, financial aid, college applications

© U.S.News