Broward County’s Bridge 2 Life (B2L) marked a major milestone on August 13, hosting a special reception followed by a FAFSA completion workshop as part of its participation in the 2026–2027 FAFSA Beta test. B2L is one of only a handful of organizations nationwide, and the only one in Florida, selected to take part in this national pilot.
The reception, held at Broward College’s Central Campus, welcomed national, state, and local leaders, including U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and Florida Department of Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas. Following the reception, B2L hosted a FAFSA Beta completion session, offering support for more than 1,300 students and their families completing the new form.
“We are very lucky to have a close working relationship with our school district communications department,” said Colleen Lockwood, Executive Director for Bridge 2 Life. “To prepare for this event, we sent emails, texts, and robocalls to over 31,000 parents of high school seniors, so the message came from the district, which gets parents’ attention.”
The FAFSA Beta is an early release of the form for a limited group of students and institutions, a best practice in software deployment. Observing real students and families complete the FAFSA during beta testing allows the U.S. Department of Education’s designers and engineers to identify and prioritize improvements before the form’s general release.
Students who complete the FAFSA during the beta period will experience the same aid process as those who complete the form after general availability––participants do not gain any financial aid advantage or disadvantage compared to those who apply later. Institutions of higher education will wait until October to package financial aid, however, a small set of institutions is working with the Department to test ISIR processing and delivery during the beta.
“We’re glad to see a strong rollout plan taking place for this year’s FAFSA cycle,” said Braulio Colón, Executive Director of Florida College Access Network (FCAN). “Completing the FAFSA is an important first step for pursuing an education beyond high school, which we know is important for our students, their communities, and our state.”
FAFSA Beta Key Milestones:
- August 4: 2026–27 FAFSA Beta 1 opened with events involving selected community-based organizations, districts, and institutions.
- By late August or early September: Beta 2 to open, allowing anyone to request access at StudentAid.gov.
- By October 1: General release of the 2026–27 FAFSA form.
During Beta 2, the U.S. Department of Education will grant access to randomly selected groups of students, who will be notified via email once admitted.