FAFSA milestone in Texas

Texas is nearing a record year for college aid applications, with almost 60% of the state’s high school seniors already filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. (texastribune.org) The Texas Tribune reported on April 8 that the rate was about 8 percentage points higher than at the same point last school year, citing data from the National College Attainment Network. The network’s FAFSA tracker publishes state, district and school-level completion data for the 2026-27 cycle. (texastribune.org) (ncan.org) The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, usually called the FAFSA, is the main form students use to qualify for federal grants, work-study and loans, and many colleges also use it to award their own aid. Federal Student Aid says schools can track completions through its high school data system. (financialaidtoolkit.ed.gov) Texas has required seniors since the 2021-22 school year to do one of three things before graduation: submit the FAFSA, submit the Texas Application for State Financial Aid, or file an opt-out form. The Texas Education Agency says that rule comes from Texas Education Code Section 28.0256. (tea.texas.gov) That graduation rule helps explain why Texas is watched closely in FAFSA data. The state also offers the Texas Application for State Financial Aid, or TASFA, for students who cannot complete the federal form, including some undocumented Texans seeking state and institutional aid. (highered.texas.gov) (tea.texas.gov) Another factor is price. The University of Texas System said in November 2024 that students at its academic campuses with family adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less would receive free tuition beginning in fall 2025, and the University of Houston says its Cougar Promise requires students to file the FAFSA or TASFA by the state priority deadline. (utsystem.edu) (uh.edu) Texas A&M University added another tuition signal in February, saying it would expand Aggie Assurance in fall 2026 so incoming Texas undergraduates from families with income and assets below $100,000 can qualify for free tuition if they meet the state priority deadline. UT Dallas says its Comet Promise also covers tuition and fees for eligible Texas students, with the expanded version starting in fall 2025. (stories.tamu.edu) (utdallas.edu) The form itself is also less cumbersome than it was before the federal overhaul that took effect with the 2024-25 aid year. Federal guidance says the FAFSA simplification law changed the application and aid formulas, and colleges now work from the redesigned form in the 2026-27 handbook. (fsapartners.ed.gov 1) (fsapartners.ed.gov 2) The gains are not reaching every family the same way. The Tribune reported that students with undocumented relatives still weigh whether sharing family information with the federal government feels safe, even though advocates point to privacy protections in student aid law. (texastribune.org) (ncan.org) Texas still has months left in the cycle, but the state’s numbers already show more seniors taking the step that colleges and financial aid offices use to put grants, loans and tuition promises within reach. (texastribune.org)