I recently participated in an online completion event aimed at assisting students with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to gain new insights from the counselors I work with at New Visions for Public Schools.
As someone who has been a college access expert for nearly 25 years, this was surprising.
I was painfully aware that the rollout of the new “Better FAFSA” has been a nightmare, even though Congress passed legislation intended to make the process of completing the FAFSA form simpler for students and families and increase access to the federal government. Assistance such as the Pell Grant. Instead, the so-called Better FAFSA is riddled with known problems, including many that unfairly affect the most vulnerable students, especially those whose parents do not have a Social Security Number (SSN).
Parents without an SSN will now need to obtain an FSA ID to log in to their child's FAFSA. You will then need to provide permission for the FAFSA system to obtain tax information from the IRS. Simply put, it didn't work and left many parents unable to complete parts of the FAFSA.
Related: The 'Simpler' FAFSA complicates college planning for students, families.
They are not the only ones. Many other parents and students are also having difficulty submitting information. For example, students who were permanent residents had difficulty entering information into the form after entering their permanent resident card number.
When I agreed to participate in this free online completion event, I expected more success. It was a long 3 hours and 30 minutes, but I was only able to work with four families. And despite my years of experience assisting students and guidance counselors through the most difficult financial aid scenarios and my familiarity with the latest updates and challenges, I was only able to complete the FAFSA with just one of them. None of that was enough to guide more families through completion in the three-plus hours following the event.
Although I was discouraged, I remembered that counseling, especially when it comes to financial aid, is largely about relationships. I spoke to the students and parents for a few minutes to put them at ease.
I see the effort they put into the form, especially for those who have had to deal with these complications for over a month.
I also provided some guidance on finding the right place for college.
But how can I expect my family to complete a new FAFSA on their own if I went through the trouble of filling out the new form with all my strengths?
The support provided by counselors and other college access experts continues to be essential to keeping students engaged and motivated to pursue their postsecondary goals during the FAFSA upheaval. This must move forward.
I have some advice for anyone looking to help.
We who do this work can learn from each other. For example, many of my colleagues in New York City have started an email FAFSA support group where we share updates, screenshots, and other information.
Additionally, social media is full of groups addressing FAFSA issues, and professional organizations such as the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) have been diligently updating their FAFSA toolkits.
You can also remind and assist students with other forms they need to fill out, such as CSS profiles and verification forms. Simply put, we need to make sure our students are doing everything they can to receive financial aid.
In the meantime, students who have successfully submitted the FAFSA should know that it will take several weeks for the form to be processed. They should check their email regularly to keep track of their applications and requests for financial aid from the University.
Financial aid packages will likely not be available until April or May (schools that require CSS profiles may offer financial aid packages sooner). This dynamic disproportionately affects our lowest-income students. These students need time to compare different financial aid packages and need to be reminded of this.
Many universities have not yet extended their registration deadlines. This means that advocacy for students and those who work with them to ensure they have the time they need to make important decisions is even more important.
Related: Opinion: It's time to stop using the FAFSA to determine who gets emergency aid.
These FAFSA changes are difficult, but they should not defeat students and their families. Through hard work, information sharing, and mutual support like what I see among the counselors I work with, together we can help them succeed.
I hope we can come out on the other side well prepared to continue the good fight.
Sandy Jimenez is the Postsecondary Career Resource Manager. A new vision for public schools and co-author “Understand the FAFSA Guide.”
This story about the new FAFSA was produced by Hechinger ReportA non-profit, independent media outlet focused on inequality and innovation in education.. join Hechinger's Newsletter.