Arizona Board of Regents selected by the U.S. Department of Education to participate in 2025-26 FAFSA beta testing

The Arizona Board of Regents was selected by the U.S. Department of Education to participate in the 2025-26 Beta 3 FAFSA application testing, a national project that will ensure a smoother FAFSA experience for students nationwide. Arizona's high schools and students, therefore, have a pivotal leadership role in the rollout of the 2025-26 FAFSA application.

Following technical challenges and glitches with last year’s federal rollout of the new FAFSA application, ABOR, alongside members of the Arizona FAFSA Coalition, hosted testing workshops at high schools across Arizona with the aim to identify and address any technical issues before the official nationwide FAFSA application launch on December 1. This initiative involved working with a select group of high schools, providing early access to the FAFSA form. Nearly 450 high school seniors across the state submitted the form, taking advantage of the early access to submit. 

“After the challenges that students and families faced during last year’s federal FAFSA rollout, the board was eager to take on a leadership role in educating and encouraging Arizona high school seniors to complete their FAFSAs,” said ABOR Chair Cecilia Mata. “With guidance from the Governor’s office and working alongside our partners in the AZ FAFSA Coalition, board staff has worked tirelessly to position Arizona at the forefront of the upcoming FAFSA rollout. Financial aid plays a critical role in making higher education attainable for students and I’m proud of the efforts our team has made to deliver for Arizona students.” 

Workshops took place between November 4 through 7, giving the U.S. Department of Education an opportunity to troubleshoot any technical issues with the form. Students participating in the beta testing submitted official FAFSA applications, a vital form that helps students access financial aid for their education beyond high school.

"Our experience with early access to the 2025-26 FAFSA form through beta testing has been a tremendous win for Arizona students," said Julie Sainz, ABOR Director of FAFSA and College Access Initiatives. "With ASU selected to participate in Beta’s 2-4, focusing on college students and ABOR’s work in Beta 3 with Arizona high school seniors, we were able to provide students and families across the state with the opportunity to complete the form in advance, allowing us to identify and resolve any minor issues. This proactive approach reassures us that this year's FAFSA rollout will be smoother and more successful than last year, providing an improved experience for students, families, and schools statewide."

High schools that participated in the beta testing included Bioscience High School, Central High School, Coronado High School, Holbrook High School, La Joya High School, Marana High School, McClintock High School, Sierra Linda High School, Sunnyside High School, Tolleson Union High School, Tonopah Valley High School, West Point High School and Westview High School.

“We’re so thankful to be able to participate in the FAFSA beta testing knowing that it will positively impact the overall process for all students,” said Sarah Kim, school counselor at Central High School.  “Due to our diverse school population, the feedback collected during this phase has been remarkably helpful, allowing us to highlight parts that needed improvement as well as confirm that the redesigned application is faster and much more effective. The overall experience has proven successful in helping our diverse student population successfully navigate their paths to higher education.” 

As an incentive to encourage students to participate in this round of beta testing, ABOR partnered with Cox Communications, as part of the organization’s digital equity programs, to give away iPads for eligible students at participating schools in Maricopa County. Cox has been an instrumental partner in promoting postsecondary education amongst Arizona students, offering financial assistance to eligible students and awarding over $140,000 in diversity scholarships to students in Arizona. Nationwide, Cox has connected nearly 5 million people to the internet through its digital equity programs and has committed hundreds of millions of dollars to extend its reach to underserved and rural communities. 

“We’re proud to partner with ABOR on these workshops and play our part in ensuring Arizona students have access to the critical financial assistance and resources they need to be successful,” said Susan Anable, Phoenix Market Vice President, Cox Communications. Through our digital equity programs like Connect2Assist, which offers discounted internet services for Pell-eligible students, Cox can help ensure that every student has the tools they need to be successful as they work to achieve their dreams.”