Samuel Brookwood has been trying to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, but without any luck.
His problem: he hasn’t been able to get help from the U.S. Department of Education to reset a password.
“FAFSA even emailed me saying that they were going to drop my case, even though I didn’t get the help I needed and all I needed was a simple password,” he said during a FAFSA workshop at Hartford Public High School on Tuesday.
Families across the country are facing similar problems and delays, holding up their decision on where – and whether – to attend college next year.
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The U.S. Department of Education rolled out a new Better FAFSA this school year, meant to make the form easier to complete.
“When the president hired me, he said fix a broken system,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said.
But the rollout delayed the application period and students said they’ve been dealing with technical issues since it opened.
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“Yes, they’ve condensed the FAFSA, but still, people are not able to get help,” Brookwood said.
And it’s not just students like Brookwood, who are still waiting for a FAFSA answer before deciding on a college plan.
The National College Attainment Network said FAFSA applications are down 38.3% from this time last year.
University of Saint Joseph Student Financial Services Director Stacey Downing said many students – both high school and college – put off the application after hearing about problems.
“Our continuing students seem to think the FAFSA is broken and so they haven’t all completed the FAFSA as timely as they have in years past,” Downing said.
Cardona said Better FAFSA is the first overhaul of the application in 40 years. He also said it comes with changes that will make another 600,000 students nationwide eligible for aid.
He acknowledged the changed caused a delay, but insists the process is working now.
“If a student fills out FAFSA today, and I encourage them to do that – StudentAid.Gov -- by the end of the week, colleges will have their information,” he said.
Schools are doing everything they can to get students to complete the form, but there are ultimately some people who won’t apply and that the drop in applications could turn into a drop in enrollment.
“We do have a high number of high needs students who need the financial support,” Downing said.
