Congress mandated in 2020 that the Education Department simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to make it easier for families to complete. While the department met its Dec. 31, 2023 deadline—barely—the rollout of the new Better FAFSA has been plagued by an unrelenting series of glitches, errors and missteps. Inside Higher Ed has closely followed the FAFSA “simplification” saga from the start.
The federal aid form could officially launch this week. Hopes for a smooth financial aid cycle, and the Education Department’s chance at redemption, are on the line.
The botched rollout of the new federal aid form is more than just a policy failure. It’s a human crisis. Inside Higher Ed’s “Faces of the FAFSA Fiasco” tells the story of the students behind the numbers.
The Education Department wrapped up phase one of the federal aid form’s limited rollout last week, seeking out early bugs and reassurance for families shell-shocked from last year’s fiasco. Are they passing their own test?
Politics, priorities and a set of unforced errors unraveled the Education Department’s best-laid plans for a federal aid overhaul. Critics say they should have seen it coming.
After this year’s disastrous launch of the financial aid form, federal officials say next year’s version will be out on time and with fewer problems. College financial aid professionals are skeptical.
Government investigators dissected the federal aid form’s botched rollout at a congressional hearing Tuesday. Their findings paint a familiar picture of bureaucratic bungling, with some telling new details.
The FAFSA fiasco undermined projections for Minnesota’s grant program, leaving many students with hundreds or thousands of dollars less than they anticipated.
The embattled Federal Student Aid office enlisted executives from the nonprofit to help launch next year’s aid form. Is it a necessary shake-up or an ethical blunder?
The FAFSA fiasco set fall enrollments back, far behind targets for many vulnerable small colleges. Some are taking extreme steps to fill their empty seats.
A House committee advanced a bill to mandate the FAFSA be released by Oct. 1 going forward. Democrats and higher ed advocacy groups are split over the proposal.
Many small private colleges are surviving quarter to quarter, narrowly avoiding sweeping budget cuts. The bungled FAFSA rollout pushed some over the edge.
Ahead of his Thursday remarks at the Education Writers Association’s national conference, the Education Secretary announced a “full-scale review” of the agency that oversaw the botched FAFSA launch.
The U.S. Education Department is doling out $50 million to help students complete the troubled federal aid form. Access advocates say it’s not too late to make an impact—but time is of the essence.
The Federal Student Aid chief and debt-relief czar is stepping down after months of criticism over the bungled FAFSA overhaul. But is now the right time for accountability?
As delays to the FAFSA rollout piled up, so did an unusual number of errors, both on student forms and in the Education Department’s eligibility calculations.
While one House committee probed the FAFSA mess Wednesday, another grilled Education Secretary Miguel Cardona about the disastrous rollout of the student-aid form.
In New York City, completion rates for the revamped federal form are down a whopping 45 percent. City agencies, higher ed partners and advocacy groups are pooling their resources to get back on track.
The number of students who filled out the federal aid form is down nearly 30 percent. The ramifications for access and enrollment could be devastating.
Many local officials say they’ll do what’s right for students, but note that pushing the deadline back too far could have its own unintended consequences.
The education department said calculation errors rendered hundreds of thousands of student aid forms unusable, setting time-strapped colleges back further.
After a two-month delay, the U.S. Education Department began sending FAFSA forms to colleges last week. College officials are eager to get to work, but slow pace and technical holdups threaten further delays.
After months of FAFSA delays and missteps, some colleges are sending students homemade aid forms and early offer estimates. That could be a risky gambit.
The money comes from a fund designated to pay off insurance claims and refund payments to borrowers, though the education secretary can authorize other uses.
The Education Department is dispensing money and advisers to help “underresourced” colleges navigate the new FAFSA. But which institutions will be eligible?
Colleges are pushing back admission deadlines after the latest FAFSA delay. But not all institutions will be affected equally, and many aren’t yet ready to make the call.
Colleges will not receive applicants’ federal aid information until March. They may be forced to push back commitment deadlines, and the delay could discourage low-income students from enrolling.
After a frustrating year of delays, the new federal aid application launched Dec. 30. But maintenance pauses, glitches and other obstacles have led to a rocky start.
A major overhaul to the federal student aid form delayed its launch at least two months. That means headaches for everyone from financial aid officers to applicants.
