According to a May 13th report by the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), the rate of high school seniors completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) hit an all-time high with the class of 2026.   

That record rate of 54.7%, set as of May 1, 2026, came well before the June 30th cutoff date NCAN has historically used to measure each class’s final completion rate. 

NCAN attributed this year’s strong completion to an early launch of the FAFSA in September 2025, processing improvements, requirements in nine states for graduating high school students to complete FAFSAs, and stakeholders having adjusted to an updated version of the form.

For more from K-12 Dive, click here.