STORY BY JONAS CORLISS, STAFF WRITER
PHOTO BY JONAS CORLISS, STAFF WRITER
Students attempting to receive financial aid across the country have encountered issues regarding accessing the form and filling out information following new changes the national Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) program has implemented.
The purpose of the new changes was to make it easier for low-income families to receive financial support. In reality, the changes have pushed the application process back months, forcing colleges around the country to adapt and families to wait to make important decisions about their futures. Both the UC and CSU systems have delayed the commitment deadline for students to May 15.
The first big impact of the new changes to the FAFSA progress was the launch date of the form. Typically, the form is available to be filled out in October. However, this year the form was only soft-launched in December, which caused concern for people who want to get a headstart on filling out the form. When the form was available, the process was riddled with issues and glitches that made it difficult to fill out.
Another major issue that was impacting certain students was the requirement for their parents to have a social security number, something that immigrant parents may not have access to. Students of immigrant parents are a part of a group that relies heavily on financial aid and the government expressed that they are doing their best to help this group. This requirement is actively being adjusted with a permanent fix coming in the second half of March.
The Government Accountability Office has opened two investigations into the Department of Education’s control over the issues.
A major concern to advocacy groups is how the issues with the new FAFSA form will bar students from attending college. According to the Department of Education, almost 5 million people have filled out the form this year so far, compared to the over 17 million that filled it out by this time last year. Lower-income, black, and Hispanic student demographics are within the communities showing the highest decline in FAFSA form completions.
Owen Andrews, a kinesiology major, was not even aware of the new changes to the form this year. “I didn’t know about the changes and it seems like it’s gonna affect a lot of people that it shouldn’t,” said Andrews.
The Department of Education said that they are working to make the form available to everyone by making the process easier and removing unnecessary parts. In an official statement, the department stated, “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to making higher education possible for more students, including through ensuring students qualify for as much financial aid as possible.” Personnel is planned on being sent out to colleges all across the country to assist departments and $50 million is going to be made available for schools needing assistance to deal with issues.
