Free Application for Federal Student Aid: Difference between revisions

In 2024, the Department of Education made substantial changes to FAFSA in response to the [[FAFSA Simplification Act in 2020]]. Some of these changes were initially plagued with technical errors and glitches, causing significant delays in the release of data to colleges and universities and considerable confusion and frustration among parents and students. Students from disadvantaged groups and low-income backgrounds are among the vulnerable student demographics who were disproportionately impacted by the technical obstacles. These students might not have access to the tools or assistance they need to deal with the challenges of submitting a financial aid application.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-18 |title=Why students applying for college financial aid are facing new technical hurdles |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/why-students-applying-for-college-financial-aid-are-facing-new-technical-hurdles |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-20 |title=Getting to College: FAFSA Challenges for First-Gen Students {{!}} Harvard Graduate School of Education |url=https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/edcast/24/03/getting-college-fafsa-challenges-first-gen-students |access-date=2024-05-03 |website=www.gse.harvard.edu |language=en}}</ref>

In order to fill out the FAFSA, parents and students must create an FSA ID. Inconsistent personal information caused problems for some individuals surrounding ID verification, including errors in names, addresses, and other information, which has led to delays in the processing of applications for financial assistance.