The Government Was Supposed To Simplify the FAFSA. Instead, They Created a Glitchy Fiasco.
This year, the Department of Education unveiled an updated, streamlined version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. The financial aid application is used by millions of American students and is required for anyone seeking federal student loans or grants, as well as institutional financial aid at most colleges.
Good idea, right? Well, not exactly.
Instead of making the FAFSA easier to complete, the new form has been riddled with technical glitches and delays—imperiling access to accurate financial aid information for millions of students.
The origin of this year’s blunder stems from the 2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which contains a provision requiring the Department of Education to create a simplified FAFSA form. The new form, launched earlier this year, is in fact significantly shorter than previous versions of the application. The new form cuts the number of questions by more than half, mostly by relying on financial information imported directly from the IRS.
However, there were signs of trouble even before the new form launched. Typically, the FAFSA goes live in October, with the deadline for completion in late June. However, this year’s form wasn’t released until December 31st—and just as a “soft launch,” meaning the application was only periodically available. Yet the deadline to complete the FAFSA hasn’t been extended.Â
From the earliest hours of the FAFSA’s availability, persistent technical glitches have made completing the application agonizing for many students and their families. The FAFSA’s own website details dozens of errors in the form that have made completing it nearly impossible for some students.
As a resul
Article from Reason.com
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