WASHINGTON, D.C.—Rep. Greg Stanton joined 106 members of the House and Senate in calling on the U.S. Department of Education to fix operational issues with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form—the gateway to more than $114 billions of dollars in federal financial aid.
In a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, the members requested, “more clarity on how the Department plans to communicate any further delays in FAFSA processing, and how the Department intends to minimize the potential impact on students and families so they can make the most informed decision possible about their futures, including through providing prompt, clear timelines.”
In 2020, Congress passed the bipartisan FAFSA Simplification Act to make the federal student financial aid process more efficient and straightforward. The bill directed the Department of Education to streamline the application form and make long overdue updates to the formulas that assess a students’ financial need. According to the Department, as a result of this law, the 2024-2025 FAFSA form will ensure 610,000 more students from low-income backgrounds will be eligible to receive a federal Pell Grant, and 1.5 million more students will be eligible to receive a maximum Pell award.
However, the re-design and rollout has been plagued by operational glitches and delays. According to the Washington Post, “Technical glitches are locking some families out of the form, while many who have completed the FAFSA probably have incorrect estimates of aid because the agency failed initially to update a crucial income formula. Colleges won’t get most data until March, meaning students will have to wait longer for financial aid awards and have less time to weigh offers.”
The full letter is available HERE.