An investigation released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office has released in painstaking detail the extent of mistakes, miscommunication and technical errors made by the Department of Education during its Simplified FAFSA rollout last fall.
They found 55 technical “defects” after the FAFSA finally launched. They also found four million out of 5.4 million call center inquiries went unanswered during the first five months of the rollout and it took nearly two months for agents to communicate directly with students after its official launch.
Testifying before a House subcommittee, GAO director Melissa Emery-Arras illustrated to lawmakers how many low-income students were forced to apply without any understanding of how much aid they’d receive. “It’s like buying a house but not knowing how much aid you’re going to get. And having to make a commitment right then and there,” she said, according to NPR.
As of August 2024, 9% fewer high school seniors and other first-time applicants have applied for the FAFSA compared to the year prior. The Department has since stated they are delaying this year’s application until Dec. 1 to ensure a successful rollout, but that hasn’t stopped some schools, like Assumption University, from launching their own financial aid form
“We won’t wait for the new FAFSA to become available,” Assumption President Greg Weiner said.
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