U.S. colleges and universities won't receive students' applications for financial aid until at least early March, the Education Department said Tuesday. The delay is the result of the department's decision to fix an error in how students' aid eligibility is calculated.

The 2025-2026 federal student aid application will open to all students as late as Dec. 1, mirroring delays last year. Some students and colleges will be able to test the new form in October. The Department of Education is trying to prevent the same glitches as last year.

The FAFSA is normally released on Oct. 1, but this year's form arrived three months late, on Dec. 30. In the days since, the form has only been available on a limited basis, what the U.S. Education Department is calling a " soft launch."

This year's FAFSA overhaul has caused major delays. It opened about three months later than normal, and was further delayed when the department failed to take inflation into account. Schools rely on the department's calculations to know how much federal financial aid a student qualifies for.

Traditionally, the form opens Oct. 1, but the Department of Education delayed last year’s rollout until Dec. 30. The late release date, glitches in the new system and administrative errors prevented universities from receiving FAFSAs until mid-March.