Editor's note: The Jan. 27 pause of federal funding issued by President Trump’s Office of Management and Budget has been rescinded. Even if it went into effect, the U.S. Department of Education clarified it would not have impacted federal student loans and Pell grants.
Last year’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application season was one of unexpected challenges and unintended delays.
The rollout of the FAFSA Simplification Act, launched in Nov. 2023 by the U.S. Department of Education, intended to streamline the application process and reduce the number of questions families would need to fill out. Despite those goals, it came with a handful of growing pains that delayed application access and financial aid information timelines for many.
“With former president Joe Biden signing legislation to ensure the FAFSA opens on Oct. 1 moving forward, efforts are in place to return to a more predictable timeline,” said Office of Financial Aid Director Lisa Schuller. “That said, it’s hard to say definitively if 2025-26 will be completely free of lingering effects from these adjustments.”
With a year of structural changes underway, Schuller says this year’s 2025-26 FAFSA season is shaping up to be a return to form in many ways, with a few new improvements added to the mix.
“The process will largely retain the structural changes introduced in 2024-25, such as the streamlined application and updated eligibility formulas,” Schuller said. “While 2024-25 faced transitional challenges, including delays and adjusted deadlines, the 2025-26 process should feel more familiar and efficient as the new system becomes standardized.”
Among the benefits of these structural changes was an increase in the number of students eligible for Pell Grants. The FAFSA changes expanded Pell Grant eligibility by adjusting income thresholds and simplifying the calculation process. That increase, in turn, contributed to the university’s ability to launch the UNC Tuition Promise last fall, according to Schuller.
“The Tuition Promise builds on the Pell Grant as its foundation, ensuring that financial barriers don’t prevent talented, deserving students from pursuing their education at UNC,” Schuller said. “It also sends a clear message to prospective students and their families; higher education at UNC is accessible and achievable, regardless of their financial circumstances.”
One thing this year’s application process shares with last year is the June 1 deadline for students to receive full financial aid consideration.
“We encourage students to prepare early,” Schuller said. “Gather the necessary information and documents ahead of time to reduce stress during the application process.”
Much like how this year’s application process is shaping up to be a familiar, but improved, version of last year, UNC and Aims Community College are partnering to bolster their events lineup for students and families looking for information on the financial aid process.
Last year, the two institutions came together to host FAFSA FEST, an event geared toward providing information on all things FAFSA to students and families. This year, the event is back and has been revamped to include new offerings for a broader audience. Split over two days, the events will focus on both FAFSA and the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CAFSA).
Saturday, Feb. 15, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Aims Welcome Center (4901 West 20th Street, 3rd floor ballroom) will be ¡Adelante! @ Aims. This event will bring together the best aspects of the ¡Adelante! community events that UNC hosts throughout the year and FAFSA/CAFSA FEST’s financial aid information.
Financial aid leaders from both UNC and Aims will be on hand to assist with questions, help families navigate the correct forms to fill out and explain the next steps families should take. Additionally, the Feb. 15 event will offer programming and presentations in both English and Spanish and include a resource fair that will help families learn about the additional resources and support services students can receive from Aims, UNC and the community.
“It’s one of our highest priorities as a Hispanic-Serving Institution to serve the communities in our backyard, regardless of if those individuals are at UNC, Aims, another institution or still exploring their options,” said José Davíd Reynoza, Office of Admissions assistant director of Diversity and Access and co-interim associate director of Recruitment. “If there is a barrier holding students or families back when it comes to financial aid information, then you can count on UNC to help remove that barrier.”
Then, on Thursday, March 13, from 5:30-8:30 p.m., also in the Aims Welcome Center, an event more closely resembling last year’s FAFSA FEST will be on offer. This event will maintain strong bilingual accommodations but will not formally be a part of the ¡Adelante! event series.
“The main goal for these events is to help families navigate a process that can be very difficult to navigate and understand,” said Andrea Wurst, assistant director of Financial Aid and Outreach and Campus and Community Relations. “We want families to know that higher education institutions can be an accessible resource to them and that they shouldn’t feel like they can’t come to ask questions or receive information."
Those looking to attend one or both events should bring their 2023 tax returns and W-2 forms, Federal Student Aid (FSA) IDs for both students and parents and Social Security Number (or A-number if the student is an eligible non-U.S. citizen).
Once applications are in, Schuller anticipates aid offers to come nearly two months ahead of last year’s timeline; mid-March for new incoming students and mid-May for continuing students.
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