The first phase of FAFSA beta testing concluded last week with minor disruptions for students, declares a press release from the Department of Education. A limited number of students have been allowed to fill out the form before its official rollout to prevent a repeat of last year’s glitch-ridden rollout, which has left students and financial aid officers yet to submit batch corrections.
The Department processed six times the number of applications than they originally planned this fall, leading to nearly 600 institutions receiving student information records. All applicants were able to process corrections on their forms, and the Department didn’t uncover any serious bugs, according to the statement.
“We learned a tremendous amount from being able to observe students, families and community-based organizations interacting with the FAFSA form in real time, and we are on track for a full launch on or before Dec. 1,” said FAFSA Executive Advisor Jeremy Singer.
The second phase will further stress-test the system by recruiting “thousands of students,” many of whom are first-generation, first-time filers and from mixed-status families. Approximately half of said applicants will be students currently enrolled at an institution.
As of last Friday, data on the latest testing phase shows some promising signs: the satisfaction rate for students who’ve completed the application thus far is 94%, and 90% said they completed the FAFSA form in a reasonable time. Over 2,300 students have participated, 1,745 forms have been submitted and over 10,800 student information records have been delivered to colleges and universities across the country.
