How to Avoid Student Aid Delays as FAFSA Form Causes Issues

The new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is live after a delay from its planned October 1 release. The Department of Education has notified users that the form's availability may go through moments of pauses as they work through the kinks of a new platform.

A spokesperson from the department told Newsweek that the soft launch of this year's report was instituted over the weekend and that thousands were able to complete their applications.

"We opened up the application for the following windows: a 30-minute window on December 30, a 30-minute window on December 31, and a two-hour window on January 1," the spokesperson said. "The application is open again now, with a waiting room to manage site volume and capacity."

In an earlier note, the department explained that it was addressing some "minor issues" that users had been experiencing when trying to make their applications.

"During the soft launch we will be initiating pauses to the site, during which time the form will not be available while our team makes improvements," the government said.

The new form was geared to help with streamlining the application process for student aid, including the more than 600,000 new applicants for the Federal Pell Grants, the government said.

The government advised applicants to be patient in the early days of the launch of the new form.

"Do not need to rush to fill out the form immediately when the soft launch period opens, as FSA will not transmit results to schools until later in January," it said.

The time will allow the department to ensure that it is able to update the form if needed, the spokesperson told Newsweek.

"This soft launch period and pauses will allow the Department to monitor site performance through real-world use and make updates to the form as needed to create a better FAFSA experience for students and families," the spokesperson said.

"We will continue to make the form available for short period of times in the coming days to ensure optimal performance and resolve minor issues detected during our rigorous testing, as the Department of Education is not sending information submitted to schools, states, and scholarship organizations until late January."

In earlier statements, the department said that should applicants be confronted with a temporary pause from accessing their form, they should check back later. Applicants need not resubmit their details as their information they inserted before will be stored.

"Applicants may experience a waiting room feature, which will help control website volumes to ensure optimal performance of the form," the department said. "If [Federal Student Aid] initiates site maintenance while a student or contributor is completing an application, their data is securely saved in the system as they progress through the application."

The new FAFSA comes amid the Biden administration's efforts to help borrowers with their student debt. Last month, the White House announced $5 billion in student loan forgiveness, bringing the total student debt the government has canceled to $132 billion for more than 3.6 million Americans.

American student borrowers have begun to pay back their education debt, starting with interest payments in September and with reimbursements on the principal kicking in October after a pause during the pandemic.

Update 1/2/24, 4:53 p.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from a Department of Education spokesperson.