FAFSA 2026 Is Open: How Teens Rise Foundation Is Helping Families Maximize Financial Aid in an Uncertain Time

This fall, Teens Rise Foundation has been on the ground with students and families across San Diego, hosting a series of in-person FAFSA touchpoints. These events bring together high school seniors, families, and financial aid experts to demystify one of the most important and often confusing steps in the college journey: the FAFSA application.

In each session, students and their families sit side-by-side with laptops open and are guided through the forms that can make college more affordable. Seasoned college financial aid officers explain how the process works, share tips to maximize aid, and answer questions in real time. For many families, it’s their first time seeing how grants, scholarships, and loans fit together to create a realistic college plan.

Our goal is simple: to make sure every family gets the most financial and merit aid possible.

At Teens Rise Foundation, we believe every student deserves a fair shot at higher education, and we’re here to help each student and their family navigate each phase of the college process.

Why FAFSA Matters

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the key that unlocks most financial aid opportunities in the United States. It determines eligibility for federal grants (like the Pell Grant), work-study jobs, and low-interest student loans, and many colleges also use it to award institutional scholarships and need-based aid.

Don’t wait! The FAFSA for the 2026-2027 school year opened on October 1, 2025, and California’s priority deadline is March 2, 2026. With the 2026–27 FAFSA now open, students and families should complete it as soon as possible. Funding is often limited, and applying early ensures your family has access to the widest range of opportunities. Even if you believe you won’t qualify, it’s always worth applying, especially if you have more than one student in college, as that can increase aid eligibility. The work of TRF ensures that families get expert and personalized levels of support without extra costs.

2026-2027 FAFSA Form Workshop at San Ysidro High

What’s New for FAFSA 2026

The FAFSA application is now faster, simpler, and more transparent than ever before-and Teens Rise families are seeing the difference firsthand. During our 2026-2027 FAFSA workshops, many parents and contributors completed their portion of the application in as little as 20 minutes, proving that what once felt overwhelming is now accessible and achievable with the right guidance.

Here are a few key updates that families should know:

Contributor Invitation Codes: Parents, guardians, or spouses, called “contributors”, can now be invited via an invitation code. Their email does not need to match the one on file nor be linked to the FSA ID.
Automatic Tax Data Transfer: For the second year in a row, most families have their tax information securely transferred directly from the IRS, eliminating manual entry errors and making the process smoother.
Mobile-Friendly Access: Families can now start and finish FAFSA seamlessly on their phones or tablets, making completion more accessible to all households.

FAFSA Eligibility Requirements

To complete and maintain the FAFSA, a student must generally meet these requirements:

Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen (such as a permanent resident).
Have a valid Social Security number.
Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an eligible degree or certificate program.
Maintain satisfactory academic progress in college or career school.
Have a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent.

If a student does not meet these criteria, that’s okay! In California, undocumented students, DACA recipients, and others who are ineligible for FAFSA can still apply for state financial aid through the California Dream Act Application (CADAA).

The CADAA provides access to California state financial aid programs, such as the Cal Grant and others, and submitting it by March 2, 2026 for priority consideration for most California state aid programs. Visit dream.csac.ca.gov to apply.

Both forms open doors to scholarships, grants, and tuition support. Teens Rise is here to guide families through whichever application best fits their student’s status.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

At Teens Rise sessions, families often share what they’ve heard from friends or online sources and not all of that information is accurate. Our expert advisors warn against common missteps that can cost families thousands of dollars and remind them with tips to save them time during the financial aid application process.

Here are the most common FAFSA mistakes to avoid:

Skipping the FAFSA because you assume you won’t qualify. Many middle-income families do.
Not filing tax returns before applying for aid. For families of seniors looking to attend college in 2026, tax forms for 2024 need to be filed and up to date.
Missing school deadlines. Each college has its own timeline — some as early as November 1.
Taking on too much debt. A good rule of thumb: keep total student loan debt below what your teen expects to earn in their first year after graduation.

Avoiding these pitfalls can make a significant difference in both the aid awarded and a student’s ability to focus on learning and graduation from college.

The Good News in the Current Climate

Despite the complexity of the financial aid world and the current headwinds, there is still support available. FAFSA, Pell Grants, and Work-Study programs remain strong federal options, and financial aid offices at colleges across the country are eager to help students succeed.

Teens Rise Foundation is proud to stand alongside families during this critical season. Our team will continue to host FAFSA completion nights, expert Q&A sessions, national webinars, and hands-on workshops throughout the fall and winter to make sure every student has the tools and confidence to complete the process on time.

We believe no student should miss college opportunities simply because the paperwork is daunting, complex, or overwhelming. We are committed to ensuring students and families succeed in all aspects of the college application process, which includes planning for financial success.

If you need personal assistance, don’t hesitate to email Gaby Millán at gaby@teensrise.org to schedule an appointment.