The chaos caused by the rollout of a new college financial aid form came under congressional scrutiny Wednesday, when a House subcommittee held a hearing on changes that have left millions of students in limbo.
In order to receive federal financial aid, work study and loans, students and prospective students must complete the FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The Department of Education this year rolled out a new form designed to streamline the process and make it easier to apply. But the process has been riddled with errors and delays, drawing bipartisan condemnation.
“Students needed their financial aid information months ago to make college decisions, yet many still don’t have that information today,’’ said Rep. Frederica S. Wilson, D-Fla., the ranking member of the House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development. “These setbacks put decades of progress in jeopardy, slamming the brakes on efforts to widen access to higher education and financial stability for students of color, first-generation students, and those from low-income backgrounds.”
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