For countless students, making the decision about if, how, and where to pursue postsecondary education depends on FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The FAFSA form is the key for students to know how much college will cost them so they can make an informed financial decision.
Congress passed bipartisan changes to streamline the FAFSA process in 2020 that were supposed to take effect last year. Instead, the Biden administration wasted time focusing on its illegal debt schemes, refused to respond to growing FAFSA concerns, and ultimately bungled the new application’s rollout. Constant delays and processing errors compounded the already-stressful college decision process, and many families, students, and institutions felt left in the dark. The Department’s continual lack of transparency this summer indicates an impending repeat of last year’s disaster come this fall.
It's time for real accountability and legislative solutions, and fortunately, the Committee on Education and the Workforce stepped up to the plate this week.
Members introduced legislation to require a timely FAFSA this year
On July 8, U.S. Representative Erin Houchin (R-IN), a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, introduced legislation requiring the Department of Education (ED) to make the FAFSA form available to students each year on October 1. U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.
The FAFSA Deadline Act requires ED to make the FAFSA available to students each year on October 1. This will put an end to the “flexibility” in statute that has allowed the Department to string families along and release the FAFSA as late as January 1. The Department did this very thing last year, which caused confusion for schools and families and made it difficult for states and nonprofits to process aid packages or award scholarships. Five major higher education school associations endorsed the bill. Read about the bill introduction here.
The Committee advanced the legislation to expedite FAFSA
On July 10, the FAFSA Deadline Act, H.R. 8932, passed the Committee on a broad, bipartisan basis. The final vote tally of 34-6 included nine Democrats joining the unified Republicans in support. Next stop, the House Floor. Read the passage release here.
At the markup, Chairwoman Foxx said: “The administration’s abysmal lack of communication about the FAFSA release date was followed by an inept 'soft launch,' millions of processing errors, and months of additional delays. Even as I speak some FAFSA components for this year are still incomplete and unavailable. Continual FAFSA delays cause great confusion for schools and families and make it difficult for states and nonprofits to process aid packages or award scholarships. ED’s lack of communication and transparency shows it learned little from last year’s disaster.” Read her remarks here.
Chairwoman Foxx plans to hold the administration accountable
On July 11, Chairwoman Foxx, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, and colleagues sent a letter demanding an update on the Office of Inspector General investigation into Biden’s botched FAFSA rollout. Read about it here.
This isn’t the first time that Foxx and Cassidy have raised the alarm: last month, they blasted the Biden administration for obstructing the GAO investigation into the disastrous rollout. Learn more.
