How the Dream of a Financial Aid Upgrade Became a Nightmare
The Department of Education just barely slid under the deadline set by Congress to launch the form, making it available on December 30, 2023. However, the application did not become available on a 24/7 basis until early January. There have also been significant delays in processing student applications. Although colleges usually receive processed student application information at the end of January, the Department of Education announced that it would not begin transmitting this information until mid-March. Moreover, students who submitted paper FAFSA forms have not yet had their applications processed, according to MorraLee Keller, senior director for strategic programming at the National College Attainment Network. However, a spokesperson for the Department of Education said in a statement to The New Republic that more than 7.3 million applications had been delivered and processed as of April 12, and that processing had returned to “normal” timelines.
Last week, the agency disclosed that roughly 30 percent of applications submitted thus far could contain processing or data errors, pledging to send schools reprocessed forms by May 1. The Department of Education also said that around 16 percent of applications required student corrections, with the correction process set to become available this week—many of these errors occurring because of glitches in the application system. The agency had previously acknowledged in March that around 200,000 student records sent to colleges and universities had been miscalculated. The department spokesperson said that more than 100,000 student corrections have been processed since last week, with institutions able to receive corrected records within one to three days after submission.
“We recognize that while the new form is easier and simpler for many families, implementing this new system has brought certain challenges. The Department is putting all hands on deck to address challenges that have occurred and make sure schools, states, scholarship organizations, students and families are receiving regular updates on FAFSA implementation,” the spokesperson said.