Why students are freaking out about the FAFSA this year

The college admissions process is usually stressful, but problems with a new FAFSA form have made this year even more chaotic. Here are the stories of three students and how the FAFSA problems are delaying their college decisions.

The college admissions process is usually stressful, but problems with a new FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form have made this year even more chaotic. A botched rollout of the new application – which must be submitted if a student wants to qualify for certain loans, grants and scholarships – has caused major delays in getting applicants’ correct information to schools. As a result, most students still don’t know how much college will cost them next school year – making it extremely difficult for high school seniors to decide where, or if, to enroll next year by the typical May 1 deadline. Usually, colleges are able to offer students financial aid awards by the end of March. But as of this week, “most high school seniors have yet to receive an aid offer,” Kim Cook, CEO of the National College Attainment Network, told lawmakers Wednesday at a hearing on the problems with the FAFSA this year. The FASFA form was overdue for an update. The overhaul, mandated by Congress, has made the application easier to fill out and, if it works as intended, more students will be eligible for more financial aid.