FAFSA Remains Open Despite Federal Shutdown

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, for the 2026 academic year went live Wednesday as scheduled, despite the government shutdown.

The FAFSA form is the first step for high school students who want to obtain scholarships, grants and loans from federal and state governments.

Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman is urging high school students and their families to fill out FAFSA paperwork if students plan to attend one of the state’s 13 public schools or other private colleges.

“We know that financial assistance is critical to helping some students make the decision to attend higher education and have the opportunity to change the trajectory of their lives,” Rothman said Wednesday at Waunakee Community High School.

Rothman also made stops in La Crosse and Eau Claire earlier this week.

About 47 percent of the high school class of 2024 in Wisconsin completed a FAFSA, according to the National College Attainment Network.

The network found there were 34,483 FAFSA completions in Wisconsin in 2024, an 8.5 percent decrease, with 3,197 fewer FAFSA submissions completed than the previous year.

In 2023-24, $1.1 million in federal and state financial aid was awarded to 91,143 UW system students. That was up from $1 million in 2023-24 to 89,847 UW system students, according to state data.

FAFSA was updated in 2024-25 to shorten and simplify the application process. It now includes 50 questions instead of 100.

And the paperwork for unaccompanied homeless youth to be considered independent from their parent or guardian is now just one question, said Marcy Smith, a school counselor at Middleton High School.

“This particular group needs more financial help than anyone, but they have little or no help navigating the process,” Smith said. “For these students, the FAFSA is more than just a form. It’s their key to higher education.

“By being classified as independent, their student aid index is often zero, which makes them eligible for the maximum amount of federal grant funding and other institutional grants,” Smith added.

FAFSA is being released as 750,000 federal workers across the country are being furloughed during the government shutdown. That includes 18,000 civilian federal workers in Wisconsin.

But the U.S. Department of Education said Wednesday student financial aid programs will continue. This includes Pell Grants and federal district loans.

Listen to the WPR report

FAFSA opens despite government shutdown was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.