FAFSA completions for the Class of 2026 are running well ahead of recent years: advocates reported an early opening and user improvements are driving filings. National College Attainment Network and other trackers show roughly 26% of high‑school seniors had filed by Nov. 21—about a 12% jump versus the last normal Oct. 1 rollout year. The simplified form, automatic FAFSA ID creation and state outreach drove the increase, officials said, though completion rates vary widely by state and by school-income status. Practitioners warned that keeping momentum will require continued outreach to low-income and urban schools and that policy changes such as Universal FAFSA repeal in some states can produce sharp local variation.