RI Delegation Urges Department of Education to Swiftly Implement FAFSA Updates
Flawed FAFSA implementation is threatening access to financial aid information, delaying college decisions for students and families across Rhode IslandFlawed FAFSA implementation is threatening access to financial aid information, delaying college decisions for students and families across Rhode Island
Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo yesterday sent a letter to the Department of Education requesting updates on the implementation of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, which has had a troubled rollout this year and frustrated many Rhode Island parents and students.
In 2020, Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act to streamline the FAFSA form that students and their families complete each year to apply for federal financial aid. The law also made the financial aid formula more generous so students and families could qualify for additional aid and extended the maximum Federal Pell Grant to millions more students.
The Department of Education released the newly redesigned 2024-2025 FAFSA form several months later than usual and the online form has been plagued by technical glitches and persistent processing delays.
“We have heard from Rhode Island financial aid professionals and guidance counselors that these delays are putting low-income and first-generation students at risk of not enrolling in college this fall. These are the students that the FAFSA changes were intended to help the most,” wrote the delegation.
Data from the National College Attainment Network shows that Rhode Island high school seniors have submitted 33 percent fewer FAFSA forms compared to last year.
Whitehouse has led efforts to lower higher education costs, cancel student loan debt forpublic service workers, and bring higher education within reach for more Rhode Islanders. Whitehouse sponsored the bipartisan Faster Access to Federal Student Aid to simplify the FAFSA student loan application by improving data integration between the Department of Education and the Internal Revenue Service and reducing the amount of information students and parents need to provide to apply for financial aid.
Full text of the letter is below. A PDF copy of the letter is available here.