Houses Passes FAFSA Deadline Act
By Maria Carrasco, NASFAA Staff Reporter
The House of Representatives on Friday morning passed the FAFSA Deadline Act, a bipartisan bill that would make October 1 the official launch date for the FAFSA each year.
The bill, which passed with a 381-1 vote, would amend the Higher Education Act (HEA) to require the Department of Education (ED) to release the FAFSA no later than October 1. While typically, the FAFSA has been released on October 1 in previous years, the 2024-25 FAFSA was released in late December last year, and the 2025-26 FAFSA will be released to all students later this month.
Additionally, the legislation directs ED to certify to Congress by September 1 that the FAFSA will be ready by October 1. If ED anticipates that the FAFSA will not launch on October 1, the department will need to testify before Congress to explain why. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Erin Houchin (R-Ind.), who sits on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
NASFAA, along with other higher education organizations, signed onto a letter in support of the legislation. In the letter, the organizations stressed the importance that students and families have sufficient time to choose which college to attend, since it is one of the “biggest financial decisions of their lives.”
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, celebrated the House passage of the legislation, noting that this bill will prevent the department’s “pattern of botched FAFSA rollouts from becoming the norm.”
“The FAFSA Deadline Act is a necessary measure to protect that future by enforcing deadlines, ensuring transparency, and making certain that families receive the aid they depend on to make college accessible,” Foxx said. “This is about delivering the basic functionality students deserve and safeguarding their ambitions against bureaucratic failure.”
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, noted that while he initially opposed the bill when it was considered during committee, he could now vote in favor of it since it would no longer impact the rollout of the 2025-26 FAFSA.
“Because we are now considering this bill after October 1, the deadline will apply next year, 2025, and that gives the Department ample to make improvements and fix any lingering issues,” Scott said. “We now have helpful information from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office that provided specific recommendations on how the Department can continue to improve the rollout and implementation of FAFSA.”
NASFAA also previously had concerns about how this legislation might have impacted the current FAFSA rollout for 2025-26 but is now hopeful that it could help ensure a smoother rollout for upcoming cycles.
“Since 2016, NASFAA has advocated that Congress adopt this language and now that there is more clarity surrounding the rollout of the 2025-26 FAFSA, we are glad to see this action taken,” Karen McCarthy, NASFAA vice president of public policy and federal relations, said. “An earlier release date set in statute enables colleges and universities to provide financial aid information to students much sooner, facilitating better planning and decision-making for prospective students.”
The Senate is now expected to vote on the bill. Stay tuned to Today’s News for more updates on the FAFSA Deadline Act.
Publication Date: 11/18/2024
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