In Wake of Hiccups and Tight Deadlines, Feds Beef Up Supports for Fledgling FAFSA

Education Week

Elizabeth Heubeck

February 05, 2024

The newly designed Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, intended to streamline the user experience and offer more aid to a broader pool of applicants, has been branded the “Better FAFSA.”

Instead, it has created mounting frustration thus far among users and would-be users due to a series of delays in its availability and related glitches.

To address some of those frustrations, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on Feb. 5 announced new and pending support to improve users’ experiences with the new FAFSA both for FAFSA applicants and the college personnel reviewing them.

“Make no mistake: the Better FAFSA is transformational,” said Cardona during the press conference. “We are determined to get this right. We must, and we will. Our hope is that these steps we’re announcing today are going to go a long way toward helping colleges and universities make the most of the Better FAFSA.”

Ed. Dept. promises new support for college financial aid offices and FAFSA applicants

Cardona outlined some immediate actions the department is taking to improve the FAFSA experience. It has launched StudentAid.gov/fafsatips, a new resource that provides tips on how to complete and submit the 2024–25 FAFSA form. Other supports shared Monday are aimed at colleges reviewing the forms.

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