A Soft Launch of This Year’s Financial Aid Application is Causing Frustration
For months, parents, students, and financial aid experts alike have been waiting for the 2024-2025 FAFSA to go live. The Education Department opened the FAFSA this month – in a soft launch that’s causing confusion and frustration for applicants. While the application is technically live, it’s only been available for small windows of time with maintenance work locking individuals out frequently… and that’s just one of the concerns the application is facing. Let’s talk about what’s going on and how this impacts financial aid applications for students nationwide.
What’s really going on with the FAFSA?
The Education Department released the new version of the FAFSA on December 30th. For the past year (plus!), they have been working on making updates to the application to make it easier to understand, complete, and to be more accessible. See more about those updates in one of our latest blogs here. However, technical issues delayed the roll out of the new application from October to December… and many of those issues still aren’t fixed. Applicants have expressed frustration over being locked out – if they can even get into the application at all right now. Many are stuck waiting in a digital waiting room because the site is at capacity. While over 400,000 people have started applications and 150,000 have actually been submitted, there’s still many more to go. These applications are critical for gaining access to funds to pay for college. Unsurprisingly, these issues are causing concern for parents and students who are wondering how they will pay for college.
How Will Colleges Get the Information?
Despite the current issues, the Education Department made it clear early on that colleges and universities who need the information on the FAFSA to offer aid will not receive information until the end of January. This was meant to help ensure students and families had adequate time to complete their applications. While it may have bolstered the families, colleges and financial aid offices worried about being able to access what they needed – or the new form being reliable… which is proving to be more accurate than anyone expected. Without knowing exactly when all information will be accessible, schools cannot guarantee any timelines about when students will receive their financial aid offers, potentially throwing off more components of the traditional timetable for college acceptance and decision making.
How Long Will the Soft Launch Last?
It’s hard to say how long the application will be in this state, unfortunately. Experts note that it could last the rest of the month. FOr students and families who want to submit their application and figure out how to fund college, that timeframe is very disappointing. However, I’d encourage you to keep trying the site – at different hours of the day when volumes might be low and do your best to be patient. It is SO important to file your FAFSA – even if it takes longer than usual this year. Do your best to submit the FAFSA as soon as you can, as we aren’t sure how future deadlines for college acceptance will be affected.
What happens now?
Right now, the best thing families and students can do is finish filing their FAFSA for the 2024-2025 year. At the moment, we are unsure if colleges will adjust their acceptance deadlines or how that process will look. There are still too many unknowns. What I do know is that the rest of the year will be chaotic however it plays out – so buckle up!
Experts say that the delays will hit lower-income and first-generation students hardest, as they’ll be on a more consolidated timeline to make choices. But, the reality is that someone who applies for financial aid now will be in the same spot as someone who does it at the end of the month. Traditionally, that has not been the case. Earlier applications meant earlier access to funds… but this year it’s different.
If you take anything from this update about the 2024-2025 FAFSA, please remember to file your application as soon as you can and just be patient over the next few months. The delayed soft launch has truly caused a domino effect in the world of financial aid and we’re all still waiting to see how much further that will go. Hang in there! We’ll all get through this strange year of college funding together!
More about Jodi and College Financial Aid Advisors
Jodi is a FAFSA financial advisor who helps with the financial aid process to help families of college students maximize their financial aid. From completing the FAFSA and completing the CSS Profile to reviewing the SAR, responding to requests for verification, comparing financial aid offers and understanding student loan options, Jodi is a fantastic resource when it comes to student financial aid. Schedule a 15 Minute Power Chat to learn more about finding ways to pay for college.
Twitter: The 2024-2025 FAFSA is live… or is it? The Education Department’s soft launch has confused and frustrated students and families while trying to figure out college funding!
Instagram: For months, parents, students, and financial aid experts alike have been waiting for the 2024-2025 FAFSA to go live. The Education Department opened the FAFSA this month – in a soft launch that’s causing confusion and frustration for applicants. While the application is technically live, it’s only been available for small windows of time with maintenance work locking individuals out frequently… and that’s just one of the concerns the application is facing. This year is proving to be difficult and confusing – so let’s talk about what’s going on.
Facebook: For months, parents, students, and financial aid experts alike have been waiting for the 2024-2025 FAFSA to go live. The Education Department opened the FAFSA this month – in a soft launch that’s causing confusion and frustration for applicants. Today’s blog shares more about what’s going on and what we can expect in the next month.