Working to Fix Student Aid

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an application process to help students gain access to student aid for college. For years, the FAFSA process operated smoothly, but now delays caused by mismanagement are creating undue confusion and difficulty for applicants. It is crucial the Department of Education (ED) take the necessary steps to fix the system to give schools and students ample opportunity to prepare and accept financial aid offers.

Early this year, I heard concerns about delays from many families. In response, I called on the Federal Student Aid (FSA) Chief Operating Officer Richard Cordray to repair the FAFSA process so millions of students and their families can plan how to fund their education.

Now, colleges and universities are discovering further problems in the FAFSA process. Fields in the processed forms have imported incorrect or partial tax data from the IRS, have been left blank, have the wrong codes, and some have incorrectly calculated students' eligibility for federal grants.

Additionally, the FAFSA is supposed to be available to students on October 1st of each year to give students, their families, and schools, time to prepare and plan. This year, the Education Department missed the October 1st deadline. The Education Department has said the FAFSA application release will be delayed again.

FAFSA delays only add additional confusion for schools and families and make it difficult for states and nonprofits to process aid packages or award scholarships. The Education Department let 4 million calls for help go completely unanswered during the application cycle for the 2024-2025 school year.

Today, I helped pass the FAFSA Deadline Act to give students, families, and schools much-needed clarity by ensuring the FAFSA is released and fully operational by October 1 each year. Creating a hard deadline of October 1 will help end the confusion for applicants.

Sorting through higher education options and deciding on a college is already a stressful time for many families, especially those with first-generation college students. What college applicants need is certainty and a system they can trust. I will continue working to return the trust in the FAFSA program that our students and families deserve.

On Wisconsin,

Bryan Steil
Member of Congress

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