Due to ongoing technical issues with this year’s updated, streamlined Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the Department of Education has declare A $50 million program will launch next year to help more students fill out the forms.
The purpose of this funding is to “expand[ing] Are advisors, counselors and coaches available to support students and contributors through the FAFSA application,” Monday’s news release said.
“We are determined to close the FAFSA completion gap,” said Cindy Marten, deputy secretary of the Department of Education. “The funding we are announcing today will support states, territories and community groups [to] Build capacity and leverage their power to ensure every student who needs help paying for college can fill out the FAFSA form.
The FAFSA is required for any college student seeking federal grants or loans. This form is also used by most colleges to determine how much institutional financial aid is available to students. Typically, more than 15 million students and their families fill out the FAFSA form each year. But by the end of April, the number of successful applications had fallen by 24% this year due to widespread technical errors in updated forms.
This year’s problem stems from Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which requires the Department of Education to release a simplified version of the FAFSA form. The updated table was released in December, more than two months later than the usual release date. Almost immediately, the form was riddled with errors and flaws, making it nearly impossible for many students to complete.
FAFSA own website Details a number of issues with the form since its release.While most problems can be solved with complex “workarounds,” some are still affected student Months of filling out forms. In March, the education department even declare They miscounted the forms filled out by 200,000 students, resulting in some students potentially receiving more generous financial aid than they actually qualified for.
The Department for Education has made no public commitment to fixing these issues in next year’s forms, instead trying to improve its mistakes by pouring money into the problems. Why build a better FAFSA when you can pay someone to guide students and their families through an incredibly complex process?
according to arrive USA TodayThe Department of Education typically releases next year’s draft FAFSA in February or March, but that hasn’t happened yet—not a good sign for next year’s format.
While it’s unclear whether students will have a smoother experience taking the FAFSA next year, they can at least say they’ve received an apology.
“I apologize to the students and families who have had to deal with delays,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said. explain at a congressional hearing this week. “I know how frustrating it is.”
