Source: studentaid.gov
Students have reported different issues regarding their FAFSA accounts since the new form soft launched in late December 2023. The FAFSA form is an application designed to help students apply for financial assistance and student aid. FAFSA is typically used by colleges and universities to determine the eligibility of students for financial aid, institutional grants and scholarships.
Junior Natalie Chibe, has noticed various issues with the FAFSA. “It would not let me access the form for days on end. I actually made a TikTok where I was trying to hit the button before it turned gray,” says Chibe.
Natalie’s TikTok received over 100,000 views, with comments of people sharing their shared grievances with the FAFSA. “People were talking about how after they were able to click the button, the screen would go blank. It would then send me to a tab where it asked if I was a parent or student filing, after trying to submit, it would move from off that tab,” according to Natalie.
Since the FAFSA form is considered first come first serve, applicants are asked to submit their application as close to the opening date as possible. In theory, this gives students a chance to receive as much financial aid as possible.
According to Natalie, Her family had a great deal of anxiety while filing the form. She was able to fill out her FAFSA a few days before school started again. However, many of her friends are still having trouble filling it out.
According to Susan Swisher, Executive Director of the Office of Financial Aid, “Federal Student Aid has published a list of known issues. There are currently 11 that are still open. While the majority have workarounds, there are some issues that are unresolved.”
Federal Student Aid (FSA) is currently monitoring these issues, the site performance, conducting pauses for maintenance, and making several updates to improve the experience for users.
“If a student is having issues, it is recommended that students contact the Office of Financial Aid for individual guidance,” Swisher advises.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act was passed on Dec. 27, 2020. This law contained provisions that amended the FUTURE Act, including the FAFSA Simplification ACT.
The FAFSA Simplification Act is a redesign of the processes and systems used to award federal student aid. The law updated the Free Application for the FAFSA process. This was intended to allow expanded access to federal student aid and provide a new and improved experience for students and families.
Following the passing of this act, an overhaul resulted in the delay of the FAFSA launch which has caused problems for many students attending SXU.
According to Junior Vanessa Orlando, “I noticed there was a waitlist to apply and that I had to recreate an account after filing it for the 4th year in a row.”
Orlando has also expressed frustration with having to wait for the new form to open, saying, “I still haven’t been able to complete it successfully due to the issues of having to wait for the application to open and restart my account.”
The changes to FAFSA were aimed at making it easier for applicants to apply for financial aid with a simpler application process. The number of questions asked on the form were reduced from 108 to 46.
“Several students are able to skip as many as 26 questions on the FAFSA depending on their individual circumstances which could take less than 10 minutes to complete,” according to Swisher.
Since the FAFSA form reflects updates regarding student aid calculations that can extend Pell Grants to more students, these changes can assist and expand access to federal student aid. Pell Grants are awarded to students not requiring repayment and eligibility is linked to family size and the federal poverty level.
As new information becomes available concerning the new FAFSA process, the SXU Financial Aid website is updated with the latest information to help students navigate.
When visiting the Financial Aid website by entering keyword FAFSA, you will be taken to a webpage that is dedicated to the new FAFSA.
For more information and questions regarding Financial Aid contact finaid@sxu.edu, 773-298-3070, and/or visit the Office of Financial Aid. Appointments are available for students virtually and/or in person.