Is subsequent yr’s FAFSA already off the rails?

The bungled rollout of this yr’s new Free Software for Federal Scholar Support began with a two-month delay, pushing the same old Oct. 1 launch date to the tip of December—a shift that raised eyebrows throughout larger ed and portended the disastrous monetary support cycle that adopted.

So when U.S. training secretary Miguel Cardona appeared at Home listening to on the problem final month, it’s no shock lawmakers repeatedly requested him to decide to a well timed launch for this yr’s type.

“I mentioned earlier than, and I’ll repeat it once more,” an exasperated Cardona instructed New York Republican Brandon Williams after a number of questions alongside these strains. “I’m ensuring that the employees is aware of that is the best precedence, and that it’s my expectation that on Oct. 1, it’s prepared.”

Williams nonetheless wasn’t glad.

“You’re sure?” he requested.

Lawmakers aren’t the one ones doubtful concerning the division’s timeline. Earlier this month, a coalition of 25 advocacy organizations, together with the Nationwide Affiliation of Scholar Monetary Support Directors and the Nationwide School Attainment Community, despatched the division a letter urging officers to decide to an Oct. 1 launch date for subsequent yr’s type.

“We’re involved that the FAFSA can be delayed once more, and that the discharge date will stay unsure till simply earlier than the shape turns into out there,” the letter learn. “This strategy will result in a repeat of final yr, with faculties and counselors unable to plan the counseling and outreach efforts which can be wanted, schools unable to make sure a easy and well timed course of for producing monetary support provides, and college students left within the lurch.”

There’s loads of cause to be anxious, mentioned Jill Desjean, NASFAA’s director of coverage evaluation. Final yr the ED launched a draft of the brand new FAFSA on March 27, she mentioned; by this level within the early summer season, they often have a second draft prepared for testing.

This yr, “We haven’t even seen the primary draft but,” she mentioned.

Schooling Division officers have mentioned they’ve already labored by means of the brand new type’s greatest technical and logistical points and are ready for a a lot simpler rollout within the fall.

“We now have heard from college students, households, establishments, states, and people who help them that it’s important for the 2025–26 FAFSA type to launch on October 1,” learn a division announcement final week. “The Division has made important progress to handle and resolve all main identified points with the 2024–25 type and can proceed to make enhancements to the shape to allow a greater consumer expertise.”

Desjean mentioned the division appears to be making an actual effort to study from its errors. However with this yr’s delays and missteps burdening the Federal Scholar Support workplace nicely into the summer season, she’d be stunned to see officers meet the deadline with a completed product.

“I understand how slammed they’re and the way overwhelmed they’re, nonetheless coping with the fallout of this yr,” she mentioned. “And each time one thing’s rushed, it often doesn’t finish nicely—as we’ve seen this yr.”

Enrollment managers and monetary support professionals, scarred by this yr’s rollout, say they wish to consider ED officers, however their confidence is low.

“Because the previous saying goes, ‘Idiot me as soon as, disgrace on you; idiot me twice, disgrace on me,’” mentioned Tom Delahunt, president for strategic recruitment and enrollment at Southwestern College. “A number of people felt fooled this yr. I don’t assume we’ll get fooled once more.”

Getting on Observe

A easy Oct. 1 launch could also be particularly difficult given latest turbulence throughout the division. FSA chief Richard Cordray is stepping down on the finish of the month, making a vacuum on the prime of the workplace liable for the federal support type. It’s additionally an election yr, which brings the opportunity of huge personnel shake-ups if the White Home modifications get together palms once more.

“Between [Cordray’s] departure and the instability and uncertainty that comes with an election yr … all of this leads me to consider there can be a delay,” mentioned Rob Reddy, vice chairman for enrollment administration at St. Louis College. “If I don’t put together for that eventuality, I’d be derelict in my job.”

However there are causes for optimism as nicely. Final Friday the division introduced the appointment of its first-ever FAFSA czar, School Board president Jeremy Singer, to steward subsequent yr’s rollout. Singer oversaw the event and launch of the new digital SAT and has been concerned in operations for the School Board’s FAFSA various, the School Scholarship Service Profile, since 2013.

Final week, division officers introduced they might not open up the FAFSA for public remark or substantively change this yr’s type, making the Oct. 1 deadline extra practical by eliminating the same old 90-day remark interval. However many monetary support professionals are upset that one of many few clear venues out there to critique the shape has been closed off.

“I’d say this will increase the probability they’ll meet the Oct. 1 launch date, nevertheless it comes at the price of not making modifications for subsequent yr,” Desjean mentioned. “Given the magnitude of the modifications from this yr, I believe folks would have appreciated the time to remark.”

Rachelle Feldman, vice provost for enrollment on the College of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, mentioned there are a couple of obtusely phrased questions on this yr’s type that prompted a flood of corrections, which she’d wish to see reworded for subsequent yr. These embody a query asking college students in the event that they wish to apply for unsubsidized loans, which comprises a number of double negatives and was highlighted by NCAN in its record of really helpful FAFSA enhancements printed final Thursday.

“There’s some stability between asking them to implement these [changes] and being prepared on time,” Feldman mentioned.

A number of enrollment and monetary support officers instructed Inside Larger Ed that it’s much less necessary that the division hit the Oct. 1 deadline than it’s for the shape to work easily on day one. Feldman mentioned the brand new type’s persistent technical issues and restricted performance have been way more problematic than the delays this previous yr.

“I’d a lot slightly that the FAFSA be prepared with out errors and with full functionality … on Nov. 1 or Dec. 1—and even Dec. 10—than have it roll out in October filled with issues,” she mentioned. “If the division wants extra time to make it work appropriately, I’d a lot slightly see them do this, so long as it’s not a continuing reshuffling [of the launch date]. And I’d slightly they communicated about that proper now.”

Backup Plans

As soon as college students submit their types, it’s essential for schools to behave on them rapidly, Feldman mentioned, noting that the hole between the shape’s availability and establishments’ entry to knowledge was a significant factor on this yr’s fiasco.

“The day they launch it for households to enter knowledge needs to be the identical day the performance is there to ship that knowledge to the varsity in order that faculties might be good companions in serving to college students full the FAFSA and perceive the outcomes,” Feldman mentioned. “There’s actually no level in having college students start a FAFSA after which in the event that they get caught, nobody might help them.”

Many schools are readying a backup choice in case the division doesn’t have a working type by October.

When the delays turned untenable this spring, each Southwestern and St. Louis Universities launched their very own variations of the shape to jump-start the monetary support packaging course of. Delahunt and Reddy mentioned the transfer staved off a few of the worst enrollment impacts of the botched rollout, they usually’re each planning to make use of it once more this fall.

“I believe [our] type, which we created out of necessity, will turn out to be an everyday software any more,” Delahunt mentioned.

That schools really feel a necessity for this sort of fail-safe displays how deeply the bungled rollout has eroded the monetary support neighborhood’s belief within the division. One of the best ways to regain that belief, a number of monetary support officers mentioned, is for the ED to be clear about any potential delays and forthcoming about what prompted the previous yr’s debacle.

“We want clear, sincere communications. And they should personal the issue,” Reddy mentioned. “To date, that hasn’t occurred.”