FAFSA Completion Rate Bounces Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels

Nearly 54 percent of graduating high school seniors had completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid as of June 27, according to the latest data from the National College Attainment Network.

At this point last year, about 47 percent of the Class of 2024 had completed the application, though students, families and colleges were still grappling with the lingering effects of the botched FAFSA launch.

So far, completed applications are up by 17.5 percent, according to NCAN’s FAFSA Tracker.

“The class of 2025 also recorded the highest number of FAFSA completions by about June 30 that NCAN has on record by about 60,000 students,” wrote Bill DeBaun, senior director at NCAN.

The 2025–26 FAFSA cycle doesn’t end until June 30, 2026. Meanwhile, the 2026–27 application is set to launch on time—by Oct. 1—for the first time in two years.

“The findings will come as a relief to practitioners and policymakers across the country, following an extremely difficult 2024–25 FAFSA cycle which saw FAFSAs decline sharply last year,” DeBaun wrote. “These findings also reflect a smoother experience for students and families and are also a likely signal of continued strong demand for higher education nationally.”

DeBaun added in his data update that the strong completion rates should bode well for fall enrollment, as the two figures are considered linked.

The completion rates are “a tremendous achievement,” but NCAN and its members are eyeing a new record for the Class of 2026. Historically, the FAFSA completion rate tops out at about 54 percent.

Every state reported higher completion rates compared to this time last year, though Oklahoma saw the highest boost. Applications increased by 49.4 percent after the state required all graduating seniors to fill out the FAFSA. Meanwhile, Louisiana dropped its requirement and saw the smallest increase, 0.5 percent, among all the states.

In terms of completion rates, Tennessee leads the group; 66.2 percent of its the Class of 2025 has completed the FAFSA.