The Department of Education has appointed College Council Chairman Jeremy Singer to a new role overseeing the launch of free applications for federal student aid next year.
News delivered first Inside higher education; That's because higher education groups are increasingly concerned that institutions won't launch the FAFSA on time (by Oct. 1) after applications faced multiple delays and technical glitches this year. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has repeatedly assured lawmakers, universities and families that the forms will be ready and that applications will be better.
Bringing in Singer, a technology solutions expert who oversaw the development and rollout of the new digital SAT, is the clearest sign the department is changing its approach to the FAFSA as part of other “transformative changes” at the Office for Federal Student Aid. It's a signal. FSA). This form is key to providing billions of dollars in federal, state and institutional aid for millions of students.
“I am honored to join the team doing essential work for families across the country,” Singer said in a statement Friday. “The importance of the FAFSA in enabling millions of students to attend college cannot be overstated. I want to hear from students, families, and educators who rely on the FAFSA. “We will do our best to provide an enhanced experience to better serve our students.”
Singer, who has served as president of the College Board since 2013, is a familiar face to colleges and universities, some of whom have been skeptical of the Department of Education over its handling of the FAFSA. Singer said she will be leaving the College Board temporarily to become a FAFSA enforcement advisor. In that role, he will lead FSA's strategy for the 2025-26 FAFSA, as well as work with the department to “strengthen internal systems and processes, strengthen technical capabilities, and drive innovation to ensure optimal performance of application rollouts.” “I will.
“Jeremy has deep experience successfully leading the development and adoption of major technological innovations in education, which are essential to improving the FAFSA experience and ensuring that federal financial aid is easily accessible to millions of students and families,” Cardona said. “Cardona said. From the statement.
In interviews Friday, College Board trustees praised Singer and his leadership style, expressing confidence in his ability to right the FAFSA ship. Derek Kindle, associate dean for enrollment management at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, said Singer will bring a candor and solutions-oriented approach to federal student aid, as well as experience with complex technology systems and issues.
“Given Jeremy’s skills, I think it was a wise and wise decision to select him,” he said. “I know Jeremy is the type of guy who can walk into a room and bring people together and get them on the same page toward his mission.”
Gail Holt, dean of financial aid at Amherst College and a member of the College Board, said Singer understands what families and institutions need and understands the financial aid timeline.
“So I’m excited about it,” she said. “It has given me hope and promise at a time when the financial aid community has been shrinking for months.”
Following the various FAFSA delays and challenges, Holt said his team at Amherst is “managing and pivoting as well as can be expected.” We are almost halfway through providing support information to returning students.
Having Singer at the helm gives her more confidence in next year's process. “I can't stress this enough, if he gets the right people in place, I believe he will. He can set a course to get us back on track,” she said. “… The entire College Board understands how to connect students with the tools and resources to move from secondary school to higher education and into the future.”
Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, said in a statement that the department must ensure FAFSA mistakes are not repeated in the future.
“It is encouraging to see the department committing additional resources and staffing to correct course for next year, and it is reassuring to hear that they are committed to an October 1 launch,” Draeger said. “The entire system, from application submission to processing, should be operational from October 1, and it is important that the department clearly explains its functions to all stakeholders along the way.”
In addition to hiring Singer, the department announced a series of listening sessions over the coming weeks to inform how the agency can better support students, families, colleges, states and other partners during the 2025-26 FAFSA cycle. The department also said Friday that applications for 2025-26 will “remain consistent” with this year's form to minimize disruption.
Following congressional direction, the department overhauled the 2024-25 school year forms to make them easier to use. Congress also mandated a number of changes to the basic methodology that determines how much financial aid a student can receive, making the Pell Grant available to thousands more students. The changes took longer and were more difficult than the department had initially planned. The department's press release said the agency has made “significant progress” in addressing and resolving “key known issues” with the 2024-25 application.
Still, officials acknowledged the damage caused by the rocky launch.
“The broad scope and timeline of the 24-25 day change has been challenging for students, families, institutions, states and organizations,” officials said in the release.
The Department has received and processed more than 11.1 million applications for assistance. The pace of applications has worried colleges and universities, who worry that FAFSA issues will prevent some students from pursuing higher education. In March, the department received 40% fewer applications than usual, but that gap has since narrowed to 8%, according to a press release Friday.
To further close this gap, the Department of Education announced a $50 million FAFSA Student Assistance Strategy to fund efforts to increase FAFSA completion rates. To date, more than $30 million has been awarded to more than 180 organizations.
This article has been updated.