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FAFSA gets new form; SHEO cites successful beta testing but warns of enrollment fallout from last year’s glitches
Summary
Tom Harnish of the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association said the new FAFSA form has been released after four beta-testing rounds and Department of Education officials reported no critical bugs; he and attendees warned prior FAFSA problems coincided with an estimated 5% freshman enrollment decline.
Tom Harnish, vice president for government relations at the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, told attendees at the Midwestern Higher Education Compact conference that the Department of Education has released a redesigned FAFSA and completed four rounds of beta testing before public rollout.
"According to department officials, they have had no critical bugs reported in the new FAFSA and folks have come out and said that the form is working well for them," Harnish said, describing the Department’s assessment of the fourth and final test round and the version now posted on ed.gov.
Harnish noted Congress has considered the FAFSA Deadline Act, which would require an Oct. 1 availability date for the form going forward. He said the higher-education community, including SHEO, supports putting the form on a predictable schedule to avoid last year’s disruptions.
In a question-and-answer exchange, an attendee asked whether the same team that ran last year’s rollout was responsible this time. Harnish said the Department had engaged some different leaders and "brought in some executives from the College Board who have some experience in rolling out some of these more technical projects," and cited Federal Student Aid staff led by Jeremy Singer as part of the team responding to beta-test findings.
Audience members raised concerns about the consequences of last year’s problems. "The national data showed we had the lowest freshman enrollment since COVID," one attendee said; Harnish acknowledged an approximately 5% dip in freshman enrollment in many places and called the effect "devastating." He urged institutions and states to redouble recruitment and engagement efforts for returning and prospective students from low-income and historically marginalized populations.
What happens next: Harnish said the House approved a measure (FAFSA Deadline Act) and the Senate could consider the measure—potentially by voice vote—before the next congress sets a long-term approach. He emphasized governors, state higher-education agencies and college leaders should track the form’s implementation and outreach to reverse enrollment impacts.
