For Maria Artica, a first-year student at Richard Bland College, a two-year college in Virginia, enrolling was like entering “a new world.”
Artica, who is Hispanic, is pursuing an associate's degree in life sciences and plans to become a doctor. As a first-generation college student, she was told that she could have a better life if she got a higher education. But she doesn't have much help paying for her education, she says. That made the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a gateway to loans, grants and other funding, her “main trusted source of funding.”
She had no experience with financial aid forms, but was able to figure it out last year. But this year was even more difficult. The form has been updated and the processing schedule has been delayed. Artica ended up writing it around the time of final exams for the fall semester. At one point, Artica was confused by the wording and accidentally clicked on the box indicating that her parents would select the college tab. She clicked submit, thinking it would take her to the next section where she could enter her parents' financial information.
For a while, it seemed like one click cast a shadow over her bright future.
She was in the car with her mother after she made a mistake and was afraid she would blow her chance. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, oh my God,’” she says. She spent all day on the phone using customer service robots and live chat services, trying to navigate servers that were constantly down. The problem was not resolved and fears grew. What if she can't get her financial support?
Just a few months later, in mid-April, the form was released for revision, putting Artica's mind at ease.
She wasn't alone. When the amendment option opened, 16% of the 7 million FAFSA applications required amendments, which is higher than usual. The distinct numbers are the result of new updates aimed at streamlining the clunky look.
Although this failure has primarily derailed high school seniors, many college students like Artica also rely on the process to receive federal student aid, especially as college costs rise. And when nearly half of all students do not complete college and many young students doubt the value of a degree, it sends another signal that can keep students, especially low-income and first-generation students, from pursuing higher education. Some experts worry it could have a bigger impact on college access than COVID-19, which may have prompted the decline in enrollment.
Is it a nuisance or something worse?
Students discovered problems with the FAFSA late last year, but they actually started much earlier. The updates date back to the 2020 FAFSA Simplification Act. Accounts of the update's implementation describe a rushed and flawed process from the beginning, including a federal report that questioned the feasibility of the release schedule.
Experts expect the failure to have long-term implications for the university and its future students.
An analysis of the Department of Education's most recent enrollment data found that this issue was largely responsible for a 40 percent drop in the completion rate of federal student aid applications for high school students. In Virginia, where Artica goes to school, completion rates fell 33 percent. In California, the decline was 46%.
Confidence in the financial aid system was shaken and led to a congressional investigation. Colleges will offer delayed financial aid packages, and students' college decisions have been clouded by uncertainty.
But for current college students, the immediate pain is based on delay.
Zhenni He, a first-year student at the University of California, Merced, was also caught up in the updates. She is studying computer science and engineering.
She mistakenly clicked on a link about applying for a subsidized loan. The application omits some information about income, which means she won't be able to receive assistance unless she corrects it, she said. But unlike previous years, my application showed it was processing for several months and I couldn't make any changes.
As she read posts on the social network Reddit, she realized that many other students had made the same mistake.
“It was really frustrating,” she says.
But she considers herself lucky. She got her email at the end of March. The college she attends, Merced, has extended the deadline for her financial aid information to May 2, the email states. So now I say, “It’s okay.” She was still working on revisions when she spoke to EdSurge.
Some warn there could be more such delays in the future.
In April, Artica, a student at Richard Bland College, was able to confirm her application. I was still confused. She's still anxious because her parents need to create a FAFSA account to complete the process. This is another potential stumbling block.
But she points out that she is glad the government is trying to improve the process. This makes students anxious, especially those with immigrant parents. Ultimately, mistakes are okay, says Artica. Because that's how you learn.