The House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development convened on Wednesday morning for the first hearing regarding the disastrous Free Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA) launch, entitled: “FAFSA Fail: Examining the Impact on Students, Families, and Schools.”
Likely one of many to come, the hearing included testimonies from National College Attainment Network (NCAN) CEO Kim Cook, as well as Justin Draeger, President and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), Rachelle Feldman, Vice Provost of Enrollment at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, and Mark Kantrowitz, President of Cerebly, Inc.
Witnesses and lawmakers alike expressed frustration with the issue-ridden launch of the new FAFSA form and deep concern about the impact of the botched rollout on student enrollment and matriculation.
Recent findings from NCAN’s FAFSA tracker, which uses data from the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA,) show that FAFSA completions
were down 40% through March 29, with only 27% of students in the class of 2024 having completed the form. These numbers have grave implications for students regarding college enrollment this fall.
“The data portend a catastrophic decline in college enrollment this fall for the high school class of 2024 unless something changes very quickly,” said Cook. “The delayed opening and processing, and reprocessing, of applications mean most high school
seniors have yet to receive an aid offer. They are being asked to commit by May 1. Our greatest fear is that they will decide they can’t.”
Subcommittee Ranking Member, Frederica Wilson (D-FL), agreed with Cook’s statements, calling the delays resulting from the FAFSA rollout a “slap in the face” for students, “slamming the brakes on efforts to widen access in higher education and financial
stability for students of color, first gen students, and those from low-income backgrounds.” As many students depend on federal financial aid to afford college, an inability to complete the FAFSA will mean that students are unable to commit to higher
education this year.
In addition to an impending enrollment crisis, other witnesses pointed to a “crisis of credibility” and a “crisis of trust,” stemming from a lack of communication from the Department of Education (ED). Feldman testified that UNC Chapel Hill has been unable
to release a single financial aid offer, due to ongoing FAFSA errors and uncertainty surrounding the accuracy of the data released by ED.
“Schools don’t trust that more errors won’t be found, that guidance won’t change tomorrow, or that the data they have is correct,” Draeger said. “Schools are trying to figure out what to do: Not because ED is purposefully misleading anyone, but because
ED itself may not know where all of the issues lie.”
Members of Congress and witnesses were also focused on what could be done to support students with FAFSA completion through the remainder of the school year, and into the summer. “I don’t want to play the blame game,” said Representative Leger Fernandez
(D-NM), “I want to be in the solution game.”
“It is still possible to inject momentum into this FAFSA cycle,” Cook reminded the room. “Despite the challenges, tireless, fierce student advocates and the students and families they support have rolled the proverbial rock up the hill.”
Focused on identifying problems and laying out solutions, Cook promoted strategies to improve the outcomes for the class of 2024. She highlighted the need to support school districts and community-based organizations in getting “as much time as they can
with students, as soon as possible” to help students complete FAFSAs before the school year ends, and stressed the importance of implementing and extending statewide FAFSA completion campaigns beyond their typical timelines.
Cook explained that bolstered support for students and families throughout the summer will be necessary, because although the FAFSA opening was delayed, “the finish line remains fixed,” for students looking to matriculate in August or September.
In closing remarks, Members of Congress reiterated shared frustration about the FAFSA debacle and voiced commitment to supporting students – especially those “most vulnerable” – in their pursuit of college. “We have a bipartisan agreement here,” said
Subcommittee Chair Burgess Owens (R-UT), “We’re going to make this work.”
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