December 13, 2023

Wyden, Colleagues Lead Bipartisan Push for Clear Guidance on the New Free Application for Federal Student Aid

  

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he’s joined Senate colleagues from both parties to urge federal officials to provide clear guidance and communication to students, families, educators, college access counselors, and schools leading up to and after the release of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 

The redesigned FAFSA will make it easier for students to get financial aid and help 1.5 million more students access the maximum Pell Grant award.

“We understand that overhauling the current application and reconfiguring the federal student aid system requires significant time, preparation, and resources. However, despite a one-year delay in the implementation process, the Department recently announced the new FAFSA will be available to students by December 31, 2023, with no indication of an actual date,” the senators wrote in a letter to the federal Department of Education. 

“Further, the Department’s latest announcement also revealed that processing delays will take place in the first few months of 2024, meaning that schools will not be able to generate financial aid offers for their students in a timely fashion,” the senators wrote. “While the simplified FAFSA is meant to provide more students with federal student aid, we fear the most vulnerable students will be negatively impacted by these delays.”

The lawmakers wrote, “FAFSA delays can be particularly burdensome for students who lack reliable broadband access, students in foster care, students experiencing homelessness, first-generation students, students experiencing financial insecurity, and so many more.”

The letter was led by Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.). Along with Wyden,  the letter is signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Conn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Bob Casey (D-PA), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-M.M.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).

The letter is endorsed by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), National College Attainment Network (NCAN), and SchoolHouse Connection.

Full text of the letter is here.