"The new FAFSA, the key to unlocking financial aid dollars for college, went live Jan. 8 after a bumpy nine-day soft launch. Despite occasional glitches, the new system seems to be living up to its promise of being faster and simpler to fill out," El Paso Matters reports.

... "Karen McCarthy, vice president of Public Policy and Federal Relations at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, said that the experiences of Sepulveda and Espinoza are typical of many of the people who have used the new FAFSA. Some users have no problems while others experience a few glitches."

"McCarthy encouraged students to fill out the FAFSA because even if their application is rejected, the information could be used to take out a student loan. She also tells students to know the priority submission deadlines, which each state determines."

"'It’s not first-come, first-served,' she said during a telephone interview."

"McCarthy also mentioned that families should expect delays as the DOE processes the FAFSAs and sends them to the colleges and universities that the students requested on their forms. The timeline for when the institutions will receive the FAFSAs is unclear this year, but people familiar with the process, which usually takes a few days, believe institutions will begin to receive FAFSA forms in late January."

NASFAA's "Notable Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Articles included under the notable headlines section are not written by NASFAA, but rather by external sources. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

Publication Date: 1/19/2024