Applying for college can involve lots of stressful steps in any year, but the creation of an updated Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for 2024-25, along with a botched rollout, added another layer of pain for many students and their families who depend on federal aid to help pay tuition. The Department of Education announced August 8 that the launch of the 2025-26 FAFSA will be delayed from its usual date of October 1, promising the form will be operational by the end of the year.
The goal for the 2024-25 FAFSA was a form that would be easier to fill out, but initially the new form was "very glitchy... many families had a lot of trouble filling it out for the first two or three weeks, and then it started to et a little bit better from there, but those glitches have just marred the entire experience" said Jason Gonzales, a higher education reporter for Chalkbeat.
Because of issues with the new FAFSA, colleges and universities across the country have seen approximately a 10% drop in the number of students filling out the FAFSA year-over-year, according to Gonzales. While the consequences of the decline for higher education remain to be seen, Gonzales said he's encouraged by how communities supported their newest college students.
"High school counselors are the ones who really keep the families and the students calm... students really persevered and families really persevered this year, I can see a world where this was much worse," Gonzales said.
Hear our full conversation with Jason Gonzales today on Stateside.
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GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- Jason Gonzales, higher education reporter for Chalkbeat
