By Audrey Kim, Staff Reporter
In December 2023, technical glitches delayed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form’s release after implementing an updated application aimed to make the process quicker and easier to complete. This caused more than 100 colleges and universities across the United States to postpone National College Day on May 1, the day students confirm their enrollment to the school of choice, to late May or early June.
The FAFSA is the official application that determines how much financial aid a student is eligible to receive from the federal government. This year, the U.S. Department of Education made several revisions to the form, including cutting the maximum number of questions from 108 to 46. Normally, the FAFSA form is available on Oct. 1, but the delay pushed back the release date to Dec. 30 due to data and processing errors. During the first two days after its release, another glitch caused the form to be only sporadically available for about 30 minutes at a time. By Jan. 8, the FAFSA administration fixed the glitch and made the form fully available.
“While I was completing the FAFSA, there were occasional glitches where I couldn’t access my already-existing form, and sometimes, nothing would load,” senior Joshua Baek said. “I think doing the FAFSA after completing all my college applications made it less of a burden, as I didn’t have to think about all the things I needed to submit before the deadlines.”
Many colleges and universities require the FAFSA form to determine students’ total amount of financial aid that is received, known as a financial aid package. When the form is completed, it is automatically submitted to the student’s selected colleges. With a delay in the form, students may not receive their financial aid packages in time and miss out on scholarship opportunities, as some aid programs operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
“Usually within a couple weeks you’re accepted, the colleges are able to give you a financial package,” guidance counselor Rachel Reavy said. “The delay meant that students are waiting to hear what the financial package will look like for each school. A lot of the students have been trying to wait and see which school gives more merit money or more scholarship money so they can make a good decision. It’s really pushed a lot of things back in terms of the decision timeline.”
The delay may also affect the next graduating Class of 2025 with more possible glitches. With concerns over potential delays in next year’s FAFSA processing, Reavy advises students to stay proactive.
“Pay attention to the deadlines, make sure you don’t miss them on your end,” Reavy said. “You can’t control the federal government, which is frustrating. Know that all of the colleges know it’s happening. It’s not a single student that has this issue, but the whole country. Communicate with the financial aid officers at the college and ask questions. You can’t ask a bad question.”
Audrey Kim can be reached at [email protected].
