CEO Betsy Morgan sat down with WFSB’s Eric Parker to talk about the new FAFSA
As predicted, the new FAFSA launched right before the end of the year -- December 30th to be exact. The Education Department is calling it a "soft launch," meaning that they will continue to tweak, make corrections, and fix issues that arrive for at least the month of January, if not beyond.
Families are reporting being unable to access the site or being kicked out after doing so. We suspect that multiple issues are at play: the site is overwhelmed by traffic, and when issues arise, they are taking it down to address them.
But forms are beginning to be filed, so that is good news.
Here are our suggestions:
* Make sure that you have an FSA-ID account for the student and parent(s) before you start the FAFSA.
* Gather all the required documents that you will need to file. These include bank statements, tax returns, 529 documentation, social security numbers, etc., for the student and the parent(s). Have them with you so that you can get through the FAFSA as quickly as possible.
* If any schools require the CSS PROFILE (list here), it may be easier to complete the CSS first and have a printed copy of that for reference, as it is a much deeper dive than the FAFSA.
* Try filing later in the evening or early in the morning when website traffic is less.
* Be mindful of each school's deadline to file. Check their website to confirm. However, if you run into trouble and are worried about meeting those deadlines, contact the colleges themselves and let them know. Financial aid officers are well aware of what is going on and share your frustration!
The Education Department has stated that they will not begin processing FAFSAs until the end of the month at the earliest. This means that you may not get a confirmation email, and your student's applicant portals will still list the FAFSA as missing. Keep checking at the end of the month to ensure that it does go through. In addition, you will not be able to file any corrections to the form (including adding additional colleges) until the first form processes, so make sure that you have all of your schools listed the first time around!
Any questions, let us know!