College aid applications are open. Indiana wants students to complete the FAFSA by April 15

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The federal Department of Education says more than 1.5 million students have already submitted the FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

In Indiana, officials once again set a statewide goal that at least 60% of high school seniors complete the FAFSA by April 15.

FAFSA forms determine how much financial aid students get from federal and state governments plus higher education institutions. High school seniors who plan to attend college in the fall of 2025 can now fill out the federal application.

The federal department slowly introduced the form to select families to help identify and resolve system errors before opening it up to everyone last month.

Students and families across the country struggled to complete the FAFSA last school year due to glitches in the new version of the application. As a result, Indiana fell short of its goal for 60% completions, according to the state Commission for Higher Education.

All high school seniors are required by Indiana law to file the form by the state’s deadline. However, they didn’t face any penalties if they failed to complete it.

Many schools were not aware of which students had completed the form because of a delay in federal data stemming from its overhaul.

In 2020, Congress ordered the Department of Education to rebuild the FAFSA system with aims to make it easier for families.

The national FAFSA deadline closes on June 30, 2026 for the 2025-26 school year. But Indiana encourages students to file a form before April 15.

Rachel Fradette is the WFYI Statehouse education reporter. Contact Rachel at rfradette@wfyi.org.