E&W Blog

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is designed to make postsecondary education accessible and affordable for students. But under the Biden-Harris administration, the FAFSA has been plagued by delays and uncertainty. As a result, hundreds of thousands of students may never enter postsecondary education. In fact, roughly 430,000 fewer students submitted a FAFSA for the 2024-2025 award year, with the decline most pronounced among low-income students. 

Republicans have a solution. H.R. 8932, the FAFSA Deadline Act, authored by Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN), will give students, families, and schools much-needed clarity by ensuring the FAFSA is released and fully operational by October 1 each year.

Several organizations have announced public support for the FAFSA Deadline Act; here’s what they are saying:

"[G]iven the issues institutions of higher education faced during the 2024-2025 FAFSA processing cycle, it is critically important to avoid future problems. For this academic year, overall first-year enrollment is down by five percent at least in part due to issues with the 2024-2025 FAFSA. In addition, universal access to the 2025-2026 FAFSA is already delayed and some campus officials have expressed concerns about whether the FAFSA will be fully available by Dec. 1. We offer our full support for this piece of legislation and hope to see it pass the House." —American Council on Education

"[N]CAN members, and all organizations serving students, benefit from predictability and adequate time to train and prepare counselors and K-12 administrators to use the tools to support students when the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is released." —National College Attainment Network

"Students and families need as much time as they can get to carefully consider their college and workforce training options because higher education is one of the most expensive and important investments they’ll ever make. College access groups and the financial aid community also need the FAFSA to launch on time each year so they can help students navigate the complex financial aid process to afford tuition and meet their basic needs. The FAFSA Deadline Act will provide this needed certainty by firmly establishing an October 1 start to our financial aid cycle." —The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs

"As the House considers H.R. 8932, the FAFSA Deadline Act, I am pleased to share the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities' (APLU's) endorsement. As APLU shared in a letter to the House Committee on Education & the Workforce during committee markup, the tumultuous rollout of the FAFSA has created severe harms, and while timeline is just one factor of a smooth implementation, it is a critical component." —Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities

"NASSGAP believes that having a functional FAFSA available on October 1st is in the best interest of students – and the decline in HS senior FAFSA filings in the 2024-25 Academic Year FAFSA cycle has adversely impacted many students. Having the FAFSA available as early as possible enables students who require financial aid to pursue postsecondary education and to plan and map their journey in a timely manner." —National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs

"SHEEO is pleased to endorse the FAFSA Deadline Act. This legislation will ensure that the FAFSA will be available starting October 1 and provide greater transparency in the FAFSA rollout process. Setting an October 1 start date will ensure that students have enough time to make informed choices about college opportunities and available financial support. SHEEO supported allowing the Department of Education enough time to conduct comprehensive beta testing on the 2025-26 FAFSA and ensure access to a fully functional form. The beta tests have proven successful, and setting an October 1 start date is the most prudent course of action going forward." —State Higher Education Executive Officers Association