Page 18 - Demo

Sunday, September 28, 2025 | Special Advertising Section 18 The federal financial aid form known as the FAFSA is expected to be made available to the public on time this year. Normally, that wouldn%u2019t be news, but after a couple of chaotic years, it is notable.The updated online form, covering aid for the 2026-27 school year, will be fully available by the traditional Oct. 1 start date, the federal Education Department said. And students who want to get the chore out of the way sooner can request early access to the form in September. %u201cI%u2019m hopeful it will be a smooth year,%u201d said Karen McCarthy, vice president of public policy and federal relations at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.The FAFSA, for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is the gateway to federal aid for education after high school, including grants, which don%u2019t need to be repaid, and low-cost student loans. States and colleges also use the form to distribute their own financial help. Millions of students submit it each year %u2014 and if they don%u2019t, they aren%u2019t eligible for financial help from the The FAFSA form is coming on time this yearBy Ann CarrnsThe New York TimesTill Lauer / The New York Timesfederal government. The form gathers personal and financial information about students and their parents and applies a formula to calculate a %u201cstudent aid index,%u201d which indicates eligibility for aid.The latest FAFSA arrives as some types of federal aid are becoming harder to get. The PLUS loan program for graduate students stopped accepting new borrowers July 1, and limits on PLUS loans for parents will be tightened as a result of the Republican policy law that Congress recently passed.