The U.S. Department of Education made changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form meant to make the application process easier. Some students, however, say the changes have made applying difficult and they’re worried when – and if – they’ll get needed financial aid for next school year.
“[Students are] trying to figure out what their graduation is going to look like, what their future holds,” University of Connecticut junior Rori McCarthy said. “And to have to think about something as silly as filling out a form has been really frustrating.”
The Education Department made its first update to the FAFSA forms in 40 years. The changes are supposed to make applying easier for families.
The changes also come as the agency is increasing overall aid by $1.8 billion, a figure Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said will help another 610,000 students nationwide.
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“Look, the process, the timeline isn’t what it was in the past, but there’s a greater likelihood that students are going to get aid, and more aid,” Cardona said.
The Education Department also had to delay the opening of FAFSA applications, normally in October, because of the changes.
Now that students are finally able to apply, some say they're experiencing tech issues that are slowing down the application process.
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McCarthy, meanwhile, said the new application form requires her and her family to do more, and she feels she even needs to be home with her parents to complete the form.
She’s been tied up with school work, including midterms, and has had trouble finding the time to return to Naugatuck.
“I started this application what, like three weeks ago and I still have to find time to go home, and midterms are starting,” McCarthy said.
The problem is catching the attention of Congress, which sent a letter to the Education Department seeking answers.
More than 100 federal lawmakers want to know what the Education Department is doing to process applications and how it’s getting information to family members.
“Any delays in financial aid processing will most impact the students that need aid most,” the letter states.
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Representatives Joe Courtney, Jahana Hayes and Jim Himes, all Connecticut Democrats, signed the letter.
The delay is also creating problems for universities. UConn won’t be able to include financial aid offers along with the acceptance letters the school will send out by March 1.
It still expects to get the information before the deadline for students to make a deposit to secure enrollment, May 1, but is monitoring the situation to see if it needs to move that deadline.
“The FAFSA-related delays undoubtedly have created challenges this year for applicants and for UConn, but our long-standing commitment to providing strong financial aid remains unchanged and unwavering,” UConn Vice President of Student Life and Enrollment Nathan Fuerst said.
In the meantime, students like McCarthy are left wondering if they’ll get the financial aid they need.
McCarthy, majoring in human rights and psychology, also said she needs to know if she has the funding before she can decide whether to enroll in classes she needs to graduate.
“It’s really just stressful to have to have to think that this one form decides my whole college career and future beyond college,” McCarthy said.
