NAFCAS Program User Guide
This guide provides you with documentation, reference guides, and direct links that answer common admissions questions about the NAFCAS Applicant Portal, Configuration Portal, and WebAdMIT. It also contains resources that may help you work more efficiently throughout your admissions process. If you have additional questions or need further assistance, please contact a member of your account team.
Cycle Timeframes
Applicant Portal
The Applicant Portal opens in early June and closes in early February. You can view the specific cycle dates, including final processing dates (e.g., last date to submit transcripts, last date to request letters of recommendation, etc.), on the NAFCAS Application Cycle Dates page.
Configuration Portal
Between late March and late May, configurations are entered into the prelaunch environment. The account team and NCAF/NCHL review submitted configurations in May.
WebAdMIT
You can view new applicants and initiate a transfer settings shortly after the new cycle opens in early June.
Program Participation Requirements
NCAF/NCHL requires all programs to designate two contacts at your institution who will receive all communication from NCAF/NCHL and NAFCAS, including the configuration, application, and WebAdMIT launch notifications.
Applicant Portal
The first three sections of the NAFCAS application (i.e., Personal Information, Academic History, and Supporting Information) compose the core application. They contain questions that are commonly asked of applicants across all participating programs, such as an applicant's biographic information, standardized test scores, and experiences. The fourth section of the application is Program Materials, which is customized by you through the Configuration Portal (discussed in the next section).
You can access the NAFCAS application and NAFCAS Applicant Help Center to review the applicant experience. You can also create a test application in the Applicant Portal; we recommend creating a new account and adding "test" to your name (e.g., TestJohn TestDoe).
For a general overview of the applicant experience, review the following documents:
- Applicant Processing Reference Guide: learn how applicants move through the application and Liaison processes applicant materials, such as transcripts and official test scores.
- Application Statuses Reference Guide: review what each application status means and how you can interact with applicants at different stages.
- Review the requirements for the NAFCAS Complete application status.
- NAFCAS Quick Start Guide and FAQs: a suggested timeline for completing and submitting the application, links to important pages including cycle dates and fees, and a FAQs section.
You can direct any applicant inquiries related to the application to NAFCAS Customer Service.
Configuration Portal
Once you've configured your program, you'll need to have it approved by the account team and NCAF/NCHL before it is available to applicants. If your program is reviewed after the cycle launches, NCAF/NCHL will approve it.
WebAdMIT
Review the WebAdMIT Help Center for any questions related to working in WebAdMIT. The Reference Guides and WebAdMIT Training and Support sections are additional resources as you configure WebAdMIT for your needs. Documents commonly requested include:
- Application Coupons Reference Guide: learn how to request coupons to offset application fees and disperse them to applicants. To purchase coupons, use the Coupon Code Payment Gateway.
- Application Coupon Codes FAQs: view answers to frequently asked questions about coupon codes.
- Data Dictionaries and Master Code Lists: a comprehensive list of all fields available in the Export Manager and Report Manager, including associated lookup tables.
- Integration Help Center and WebAdMIT API: learn how to set up an API and schedule automatic data exports from WebAdMIT into your SIS/ERP.
- Manual Designations: learn how to add additional programs (i.e., designations) to an application in WebAdMIT.
- Transfer Settings Guide: a review of how programs and templates built in WebAdMIT are carried forward each cycle.
The Release Notes feature new enhancements in the Applicant Portal, Applicant Gateway, Configuration Portal, Liaison Letters, and WebAdMIT, in addition to upcoming training opportunities.
For any questions, contact the Client Support Specialist Team.
Cycle Enhancements
2026-2027
The table below contains enhancements for NAFCAS for the cycle timeframes noted at the top of this page. Note that some sections have multiple enhancements. If an action is required by participating programs to use the enhancement, click the links under Enhancement Details to learn more. Additional enhancements may have been automatically released; review the Release Notes to learn more.
|
Portal |
Section |
Enhancement Details |
Implementation |
Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
CAS Applicant Portal |
User Interface |
The application is updated to a new, mobile-first, and modern applicant portal that we call CAS 3+. Visit the CAS 3+ Upgrade page to learn more about its key benefits and a preview of the upgraded application. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
CAS Applicant Portal |
Personal Information – Release Statement |
The Pre-Submission Release statement, where applicants can choose to share their basic contact information before they submit their application to your program, has been updated for conciseness. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
CAS Applicant Portal |
Personal Information – Contact Information |
Applicants can validate their mailing addresses via the SmartyStreets integration. You can view verified address data from WebAdMIT. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
CAS Configuration Portal |
Branding |
Pixel tracking can be enabled on the Add Programs and Program Materials sections to gain more insight into your program or organization's applicants. You can insert your tracking ID into the CAS Configuration Portal to establish standard tracking pixels from the major ad providers, including Google, Meta, and LinkedIn. |
Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement. |
Available now |
|
WebAdMIT |
Export Manager |
The Hispanic field in WebAdMIT aligns with the Do you consider yourself to be of Hispanic/Latino Origin? optional question from the CAS Applicant Portal. Currently, when users export this field from WebAdMIT, an applicant’s response populates as:
A new Hispanic (Yes / No / Blank) field has been created to accurately reflect an applicant’s response to this Do you consider yourself to be of Hispanic/Latino Origin? question:
The Hispanic (Yes / No / Blank) field is available in the:
The original Hispanic field is still available in WebAdMIT. |
Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
2025-2026
The table below contains enhancements for NAFCAS for the cycle timeframes noted at the top of this page. Note that some sections have multiple enhancements. If an action is required by participating programs to use the enhancement, click the links under Enhancement Details to learn more. Additional enhancements may have been automatically released; review the Release Notes to learn more.
|
Portal |
Section |
Enhancement Details |
Implementation |
Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Applicant Portal |
Academic History – Colleges Attended |
The Transcript Processing Center PO Box number was updated in the instructional text. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Liaison Letters |
Recommendation Request |
The programs that the applicant is applying to is no longer listed in Liaison Letters. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
Liaison Letters |
Recommendation Forms |
Recommenders can include comments on their ratings for Likert scales. You can view their comments within WebAdMIT and the full application PDF. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
WebAdMIT |
Applicant Details Page |
The CAS Custom Questions panel has subpanels by question block, so you can more easily find applicant data and restrict your users' access to it via Work Groups. |
Action required by participating programs choosing to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
WebAdMIT |
Applicant Details Page |
You have partial (i.e., limited) viewing rights for applicants in the On Hold application status. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
WebAdMIT |
Applicant Details Page Email Templates Export Manager List Manager |
The Title field is no longer collected in the application and will be removed from WebAdMIT. You will need to update any lists, exports, emails, and other integrations to account for this field removal. |
Action required by all participating programs. |
Available at cycle launch |
|
WebAdMIT |
Report Manager |
A new Multi-Row In Progress Report report is available in the Report Manager, under the Applicant report type. |
No action required by participating programs to use this enhancement. |
Available at cycle launch |