The U.S. Department of Education will use a phased approach to roll out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, this fall, in hopes of being able to address technical glitches before the revamped form becomes available to all students by Dec. 1.
The federal agency on Aug. 7 outlined its more gradual approach for rolling out the form that helps students apply for federal grants, and that colleges and universities use to determine students’ financial aid packages, after the rollout of last year’s form was dominated by major technological glitches and other defects.
Republicans in Congress, meanwhile, criticized the agency for a delayed rollout of the crucial form for the second year in a row.
Taking attendance would not be as simple as students logging into the learning management system or stating “here” at the beginning of each class session. Every 14 days, students would be expected to turn in an assignment or interact with a professor or fellow students during lectures and course discussions, although the department has yet to define exactly what mechanism or standard it would require colleges to use to align with the new policy.
To avoid a repeat of this year’s glitches, the agency plans to release the form for testing starting Oct. 1 with a limited number of students and institutions.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid for the 2025-26 academic year will be fully available by Dec. 1 — two months later than the form’s usual debut, according to an announcement Wednesday from the U.S. Department of Education.
Starting Oct. 1, the Education Department will test the new form with a limited number of students and institutions. This phased approach is aimed at ensuring complete functionality when the form fully launches, officials said in a news release.
The delay comes after a fraught financial aid cycle.
The Education Department released a new FAFSA form for the 2024-25 academic year in late December — roughly three months later than usual.
The department says taking attendance will help ensure Title IV funds are used properly. Online-facing faculty said it will create a financial and time burden.
Administrators who oversee online education say a federal plan to require colleges to take attendance in virtual courses would impose significant time demands on faculty members and increase cost burdens on institutions.
The U.S. Education Department proposed the change as part of a larger package of federal policies designed to protect students and hold institutions accountable for the financial aid dollars they receive. The rules emerged in July, from a negotiated rule-making session the agency held last year.
Taking attendance would not be as simple as students logging into the learning management system or stating “here” at the beginning of each class session. Every 14 days, students would be expected to turn in an assignment or interact with a professor or fellow students during lectures and course discussions, although the department has yet to define exactly what mechanism or standard it would require colleges to use to align with the new policy.