No batch corrections for this FAFSA cycle

Schools and universities planning to submit batch corrections for college kids’ federal monetary support functions received’t find a way to take action for this cycle, the Schooling Division introduced Tuesday.

The announcement comes a couple of days earlier than schools had hoped to submit the corrections and is yet one more blow to establishments grappling with the challenges wrought by the division’s botched rollout of the brand new Free Utility for Federal Pupil Support.

In a typical yr, establishments use batch corrections to submit adjustments to hundreds of types without delay. With out batch processing, school monetary support directors must manually submit corrections to the division for particular person college students—a extra time-intensive course of. 

The division beforehand stated that batch corrections could be out there within the first half of August, however now the company is reversing course, opting to prioritize the event of the FAFSA for the 2025–26 tutorial yr. 

“We all know that this isn’t the information that you simply, our companions, had been anticipating and provides to the challenges your organizations have already been dealing with,” the division stated in its on-line replace. “We all know this determination creates extra burdens for establishments which might be already experiencing a heavy workload and elevated calls for throughout this extraordinary FAFSA processing cycle.” 

The division is planning to supply free technical help to assist schools and universities submit corrections. Greater than 2,800 establishments have submitted particular person corrections within the final month.

Beth Maglione, interim president of Nationwide Affiliation of Pupil Monetary Support Directors, stated in a press release that the announcement was “past irritating.”

“Whereas we perceive that sources are finite and making certain subsequent yr’s FAFSA is absolutely purposeful is crucial, the federal authorities continues to be obligated to make sure this yr’s college students are capable of entry crucial funds,” Maglione stated. “The division’s poor planning has led to a surprising failure: some school college students won’t have monetary support {dollars} of their palms in time to start out courses within the subsequent few weeks. And for faculties, the affect of in the present day’s announcement means various further hours of labor. It’s the distinction between pushing a button versus making hundreds of keystrokes by way of administrative burden.”