BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Changes to the FAFSA process has caused challenges for students in the 2024-2025 academic year.
With the changes come solutions that universities and colleges are trying to handle.
- FAFSA crashes causing delays for students and financial aid offices
- Universities and colleges nationwide facing challenges with FAFSA
- Databases and application roll out issues contributing to delays
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
With the year being a rocky ride for FAFSA applications, many colleges and Universities in Kern County have faced problems with students getting the aid that they need on time.
Chad Morris wit financial aide tells me that, "So far has been pretty rocky and challenging and caused quite a few delays for students and also for those of us in the financial aid world"
The Federal government's rollout of FAFSA simplification allowing students to fill out fewer questions on their FAFSA application making it a smoother process was supposed to make getting aid easier.
But, it only made it more of a hassle, allegedly causing problems for students and those universities and colleges nationwide.
The issue involves databases that are supposed to keep track of aid and applications.
Morris continues to add the struggles with delays, "So all of these databases because of these delays are getting pushed back, so there's just these constant delays which limited the ability of schools to get things out on time."
The first indication of problems started last summer when the application was supposed to roll out…
"We started getting news that the application wouldn't be available October first," Morris says.
The date kept getting pushed back for students to receive aid around September.
Then got pushed back to October.
Finally the application was supposed to be available from November to December.
"They knew there were still issues with it they were like well we have to let a certain amount of people in to complete it so we can see what the problems are." Morris said.
As of now, 13,000 students should be receiving FAFSA this semester alone at CSUB
No matter where you are there is still time to complete the application.
The best step is to contact your school's financial aid office.
If you already have an application make sure to check in on your application periodically.
"We're here for students we just want to see them succeed we know how important finances are to students' education and we'll do our best promptly as possible to help," Morris shares.
The delays may continue to impact the new semester and it is unsure when the delays will stop.
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