The simplified FAFSA opened ahead of Oct. 1 this year and early data show a significant rebound: more than a quarter of high‑school seniors had filed by Nov. 21, a roughly 12% jump versus the disrupted 2023 cohort. NCAN and state trackers report faster completion times after system fixes and automatic FAFSA ID creation for new users. Policy changes—including a congressional mandate to open FAFSA by Oct. 1—plus improved user experience and outreach are credited with reversing last year’s decline and positioning the Class of 2026 for historically high financial‑aid application rates.