"The hot mess that is the Department of Education’s new Free Application for Federal Financial Aid continues to spit out errors and delays, creating headaches for anxious students and families. In response, many colleges and universities are extending their commitment deadlines this spring for accepted students," Rethinking 65 reports.

"Rolled out last fall, the simplified FAFSA was designed to ease a notoriously difficult application process for families seeking federal financial aid for their college-bound children. “It is faster and easier to fill out, with most students and families completing it in less than 15 minutes,” the Department of Education trumpeted at the time. The FAFSA experience has been anything but fast and easy.

The new online application opened nearly three months later than usual and initially was available only intermittently, according to Allie Arcese, director of communications for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. Once it became available 24/7, issues prevented some applicants from starting or completing it.

The Department of Education has encountered significant delays in sending applicant financial information to colleges and universities. 'In a normal year, this typically happens 1-3 days after a student completes the FAFSA,' Arcese told Rethinking65 on April 2. 'However, schools only started receiving applicant information (referred to as Institutional Student Information Records, or ISIRs) about two weeks ago.'"

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: 4/5/2024