FAFSA Rollout Delayed Again: Here's What to Know
"The most recent FAFSA rollout has been plagued with delays, and that continues for the 2025-2026 cycle. The U.S. Department of Education announced Aug. 7 that the upcoming Free Application for Federal Student Aid form will be open to all students by Dec. 1 – about two months later than the typical release date," U.S. News and World Report writes.
..."The current FAFSA opened in late December 2023, causing widespread concern among students, parents and colleges and creating a ripple effect of delayed form completion, delayed federal issuance of student aid reports, delayed creation of financial award packages from colleges and delayed decisions by many students about where or whether to attend college in 2024-2025.
As a result, some admission experts fear enrollment decreases as students return this fall.
'The fact that we are still, to this day, dealing with the aftershocks of this year’s FAFSA rollout shows just how imperative it is that the process is thoroughly tested from end to end and launched as a system, not in a piecemeal manner,' Beth Maglione, interim president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, wrote in a statement issued Aug. 7.
'Ideally, we would have a fully functional, well-tested FAFSA opening on October 1,' she added. 'But given where we are in the process, and the challenges that have plagued this year’s rollout, we would rather wait until December 1 to allow time for the necessary testing to ensure a functional system when ED launches the 2025-26 FAFSA.'"
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Publication Date: 8/12/2024
