Texas Border Business
To better support students, families and institutions of higher education across the country, the U.S. Department of Education is conducting testing on its new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process across the nation, and has announced South Texas College, as the only community college in the Rio Grande Valley, to have been selected to participate in the 2025-2026 testing period.
STC is among 78 other colleges and universities to have been selected for this testing, that will give its students the opportunity to provide feedback on the new FAFSA form that was introduced last year, a first major overhaul of the FAFSA system in more than four decades, and to apply for financial aid as early as mid-November.
The national FAFSA application release date is December 1.
“STC is proud to have been selected by the U.S. Department of Education to participate in this important national beta test initiative for the new FAFSA application,” said STC Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Matthew Hebbard, Ed.D. “The teams from Enrollment Services and Student Financial Services will work together to ensure that students have a positive experience with the application process and can provide valuable feedback on functionality and issues encountered.”
There are four beta testing groups, Beta 1, 2, 3 and 4, and because STC serves nearly 30,000 students, it was selected as a large school under Beta 3.
As a Beta 3 testing partner, Beta 3 schools include tens of thousands of students, STC will partner with Region One Education Service Center and local high schools to achieve the test goal of submitting 1,000 FAFSA applications. All applications will be downloaded and processed through the U.S. Department of Education.
“The most important step students can take is to apply early for financial aid so they can make informed decisions based on how much they qualify for,” said Juan Miguel Galvan, STC director of Student Financial Services. “We felt it was important to participate in this test, not only so our students can provide feedback to improve the application, but so they could also have access much earlier than most. This is a great opportunity for our community.”
In a press release by the U.S. Department of Education, FAFSA Executive Advisor Jeremy Singer, said the Beta testing period allows the Department to maximize a positive user experience by identifying and resolving system errors that could impact students, contributors and institutions.
“We are grateful for the efforts of all our partners in this beta testing – community-based organizations, high schools, colleges and others – who are working so hard to ensure that the first group of participating students can begin submitting their forms October 1, said Singer.
U.S. Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal said it’s all about driving better outcomes for the millions of Americans the department serves.
“With the help of college counselors and advisors across the country, we continue to help more students complete the FAFSA and access financial aid,” said Kvaal. “We won’t rest until we reach all students who need help completing college without excessive student debt.”
At STC, many of STC’s students graduate debt free thanks to its affordability and the grants made possible by the U.S. Department of Education, STC scholarships and its most recent Valley Promise initiative.
On average, 68% of STC students receive financial aid.
“We can’t stress enough, on how honored we are to have been selected for this wonderful opportunity. Our goal is to remove barriers and help our students complete their financial aid application while working with the Department of Education to ensure the FAFSA is student-centered and user friendly for all students nationwide,” said Hebbard.
For more information on STC’s Student Financial Services or to learn more about the FAFSA, visit https://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/index.html
