On December 11th, 37 senators urged the Department of Education to provide higher education stakeholders with additional support as the new FAFSA release date draws near.
Senators Elizabeth Warren (D), Chuck Grassley (R), Joe Manchin (D), Joni Ernst (R), and 34 of their colleagues all signed a letter addressed to Secretary Cardona about their concerns regarding the new FAFSA in a show of bipartisan support. While the cohort acknowledges the difficulties of implementing the updated application, they outlined the potential harm that processing delays will have on the most vulnerable student populations if left unchecked.
The senators presented ten recommendations to the Department of Education that they believe can mitigate some of these issues and provide relief after the December 31st release. This list includes the following:
1. Provide clear communication to applicants upon submission of their FAFSA by giving realistic timelines and detailed next steps.
2. Ensure increased availability and adequate staffing of help centers for students and financial aid offices, including the availability of bi- or multi-lingual staff and weekend and evening hours in January and February.
3. Maintain low verification selection rates for the 2024-2025 cycle.
4. Ensure that FAFSA instructions clearly inform applicants that their primary residence should not be included in evaluating the value of a for-profit farm or small business for asset reporting purposes on the FAFSA.
5. Allow parents without Social Security Numbers, who are unable to verify their identities online, to securely upload their documentation to expedite the process of getting them a Federal Student Aid ID.
6. Encourage institutions of higher education (IHE) to push back their financial aid deadlines to March 1st, at the earliest, so that students, families, and counselors have adequate time to complete the form.
7. Allow IHEs to accept electronic copies of verification materials, including electronic signatures.
8. Partner with key stakeholders to strongly encourage students to complete the FAFSA through trusted sources.
9. Offer IHEs timely updates on progress and provide them the resources to address student’s questions, concerns, or challenges.
10. Share timely FAFSA completion data with the field to monitor progress.