Dear Friend, 

No student should miss out on a college education because of bureaucratic delays.

Last year, the Biden-Harris Department of Education repeatedly delayed the release of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2024-2025 school year, and eventually quietly rolled out the application on December 31st. After the release, key components of the form remained unavailable for months, preventing students from submitting their information. Furthermore, the processing of completed FAFSA applications was delayed, and once processing began, millions of applications contained calculation errors, causing further delays and headaches for students and their families.

Students complete the FAFSA for a variety of reasons including to get access to federal student aid programs such as Pell Grants, work-study funds and federal student loans. Delays in accessing these funds create confusion for students, families and schools and make it difficult for states and nonprofits to process aid packages or award scholarships to deserving students.

Due to the delays caused by the Biden-Harris Department of Education, the Government Accountability Office found that roughly 430,000 fewer students submitted a FAFSA for the 2024-2025 award year and colleges and universities experienced the steepest drop in first-year enrollment since the pandemic.

Last week, the House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation to address this by requiring the Department of Education to establish clear deadlines for students applying for FAFSA funding. Specifically, the FAFSA Deadline Act requires the Department of Education to make FAFSA available for students each year on October 1st.

By establishing and enforcing clear deadlines, this policy change will make it easier for students and families to access the financial aid they need to confidentially pursue higher education. While college isn’t, and shouldn’t be, the only path to a successful career, we were proud to support this legislation and will continue to seek opportunities that give Minnesota families the clarity and assurance they need to pursue their education.

Sincerely,