The determinations of eligibility for federal financial aid this year seem to be progressing as planned. This is undoubtedly a relief for students who are planning to attend college and for administrators who were inconvenienced by delays last year. The Department of Education is in charge of processing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is a form that determines a student’s eligibility for federal grants or loans. As of April 11, the department reported that it had received over 5 million applications and had processed 92 percent of the paper FAFSAs and 100 percent of the electronic applications. This marks a significant improvement compared to the situation in spring 1996, where technical issues and government shutdowns resulted in a backlog in processing applications.
Paul Hill, the development manager for the Education Department division overseeing FAFSA processing, acknowledged the stark difference between this year and the previous year. Many college officials were concerned about the backlog disrupting their timelines for offering financial aid to students and receiving responses. Some schools even had to move their acceptance deadlines from May 1 to accommodate these delays. To prevent a recurrence of this issue, the department started distributing the FAFSA to high schools earlier in mid-October than ever before. They also implemented an automated system for ordering FAFSAs. Additionally, students were encouraged to file electronic applications using a Windows-based computer program called FAFSA Express, allowing them to transmit financial data directly to the department via modem. This year, the department also introduced a "save to diskette" function, enabling schools to download FAFSA Express from the Internet’s World Wide Web.
In June, the department is planning to launch an interactive online Internet application called FAFSA on the Web, which will eliminate the need to download any software.
Fortunately, no delays have been reported this year, which has left counselors satisfied with the progress of FAFSA processing. Last year, in response to the FAFSA delay, the National Association for College Admission Counseling conducted a survey among its members to determine if they were shifting their May 1 deadlines. This year, the organization did not conduct a survey since there appeared to be no delays. No complaints regarding processing or distribution of the forms have been received from schools or students. Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, VA, which extended its acceptance deadline to May 15 last year, has reverted to the usual May 1 deadline this year. Bob MacDonald, the college’s associate dean for financial aid, confirms that they did not face any interruptions this year as they did in the previous year.
Joyce Smith, the Executive Director of NACAC, commended the Education Department for the improvements made in FAFSA processing. According to her, the pressure now lies on the students to make decisions regarding financial aid.
