- ORIGINAL NEWS
Issues with new FAFSA may cause ‘shocking’ decline in the number of students getting college aid, expert says
- SUMMARY
Due to problems with the new FAFSA form, significantly fewer students (around 15%) have applied for college financial aid this year, putting around two million applications at risk.
Experts are concerned as this decrease could deprive eligible students of grants, especially the Pell Grant, designed for lower-income individuals.
Even with a simplified FAFSA process, the idea was to increase applications, not decrease them.
Some states are now considering policies that make FAFSA mandatory for high school seniors, as studies have shown that completion of the FAFSA is a strong indicator of college enrollment.
Despite the importance of financial aid, many families mistakenly believe they won’t qualify and don’t bother completing the application.
The Education Department is facing pressure to resolve the FAFSA issues and ensure that students have access to the financial support they need to pursue higher education.
- NEWS SENTIMENT CHECK
- Overall sentiment:
negative
Positive
“The goal of FAFSA simplification was to increase the number of lower-income students applying.”
“In Louisiana, for example, which was the first state to implement this rule in the 2017-18 academic year, high school graduation rates rose and the number of high school graduates immediately enrolling in college climbed to an all-time high, according to early data.”
Negative
“Problems with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid have resulted in fewer students applying for college financial aid.”
“More from Personal Finance:FAFSA ‘loophole’ lets grandparents help pay for collegeBiden to forgive $1.2 billion in student debt for more borrowersThis could be the best year to lobby for more college financial aidYet, as of mid-February, only 24% of the high school class of 2024 had completed the FAFSA, according to the National College Attainment Network, down roughly 42% from a year ago.”