The U.S. Department of Education has released more information on the testing period — which will be called Beta 1 — opening on Oct. 1 for the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Community-based organizations can fill out this survey by Sept. 5 to express interest in participating.

For the Oct. 1 testing period, the department is looking for two to six community-based organizations focused on college access with existing partnerships with at least one postsecondary institution. The organizations need to be able to reach a broad and diverse set of students, and the survey also indicates that the organizations will need to have capacity for the following:

Interested organizations do not need to meet all of the above to express interest, and organizations that apply to participate in Beta 1 also will be eligible to participate in later beta tests. 

“We’re using the beta testing period to uncover and fix issues with the FAFSA form before the form is available to millions of students and their families,” said FAFSA Executive Advisor Jeremy Singer. “During this first beta test, we’re grateful that community-based organizations are willing to work with us to support students and contributors when they encounter issues. In the end, our collective efforts will benefit all students and their families in their pursuit of higher education.”

In subsequent beta tests after Beta 1, the department will work with other community-based organizations, high schools, institutions of higher education, and states. In the coming weeks, additional details about later beta tests will be announced.

The “Better FAFSA” launched earlier this year amid multiple glitches and delays, causing enormous stress for students and families who need help paying for college. This press release says the submission gap from the prior year has fallen from roughly 40% in March to under 3%.   

The department announced in early August that the 2025-26 FAFSA application will be available to all students on or before Dec. 1, 2024.

According to the press release, the department’s top priority is ensuring the FAFSA form is stable and delivers a smooth and secure experience for families, schools, states, and other partners.