FAFSA Glitch Causes Chaos for Students’ Financial Aid Applications

The FAFSA crisis: How a glitch is blocking students’ financial aid applications

Enrolling in college has always been a stressful process, but this year, it’s even more complicated. Financial aid experts are sounding the alarm about a glitch in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that is causing major delays in processing applications.

For many students, especially nontraditional and low-income students, summer school is a crucial time to finish their degrees quickly and save money. However, changes made by the U.S. Education Department in 2017 have made it possible for these students to receive year-round government assistance. But this year, a congressional mandate to streamline the FAFSA application process has backfired, causing chaos for students across the country.

While the Education Department claims that FAFSAs are now being processed in one to three days, many colleges are still behind schedule. This has forced some schools to rely on their own systems to calculate costs for students who want to enroll in summer classes and are eligible for Pell Grants.

MorraLee Keller, from the National College Attainment Network, expressed deep concern about the situation, stating, “The FAFSA fiasco has not left any part of higher education untouched.”

At Southwestern College in Kansas, financial aid director Brenda Hicks is working tirelessly to ensure that Pell funding comes through for students this summer. Despite some hiccups with FAFSA applications, most students have received their aid, but there are still a few cases pending.

Experts warn that students with special financial circumstances could be at risk of missing out on summer school this year due to the FAFSA glitch. Colleges are still unable to appeal the government’s financial aid calculations, leaving some students in limbo.

As the Education Department works to resolve the issue, students and colleges are left in a state of uncertainty. The hope is that the situation will be resolved before the start of the summer term, allowing students to receive the financial aid they need to continue their education.
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