According to a tracker from the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), the high school class of 2026 has completed a collective 1.6 million federal student aid applications for higher education for the 2026-27 school year as of January 23, 2026, or about 52% more than the class of 2025 by the same date. The U.S. Department of Education (USDE), which oversees the FAFSA process, reports that it has processed a total of 7.6 million applications, including for the high school class of 2026 and all other filers.
Also, despite the high school class of 2024’s struggles with that year’s FAFSA form, a September 2025 report from NCAN found that immediate higher education fall enrollment remained stable for that year.
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