FAFSA completion rates surged for the Class of 2026 after the simplified form opened earlier than required this year. By Nov. 21, roughly 26% of high‑school seniors had filed—a near 12% increase from the last cohort that faced the October rollout issues. The redesigned form and automatic FAFSA ID creation reduced barriers; advocates report fill times of 10–15 minutes. States varied widely: Illinois and New Jersey posted high completion rates while some states that had previously mandated FAFSA completion saw drops after policy reversals. Higher‑education financial‑aid offices and college access organizations described the uptick as a potential record year for FAFSA completions, with implications for enrollment, yield and need‑based aid planning across campuses.