In recent months, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) website has undergone significant modifications, aiming to enhance accessibility and make the application process run smoothly for students.
These changes on the website came after “The FAFSA Simplification Act” was passed by Congress in 2022, introducing changes to the application process to simplify and improve it for students and families.
The website is expected to have a more straightforward platform to eliminate unnecessary complexity.
Even though these changes were intended to make the process more equal and accessible, there have been many problems, and many students have experienced difficulties navigating the application.
Maya Bustamante, a 2nd-year student, commented on her experiences completing the 2024-2025 FAFSA application.
“As a Mexican American student with the privilege of having a parent who is a citizen, the process was simple and easy. Just a few clicks, and I was done.
However, others who do not share the same privilege are stuck. In trying to make the FAFSA process more accessible, they’ve made it much more difficult for students who aren’t your average, all-American family to apply for the financial aid they need to pursue higher Ed.
Even those who don’t have unusual circumstances are struggling with the form, so my question is: why fix something that wasn’t broken,” Bustamante said.
Oklahoma City University’s Communications Office sent out an email earlier this month reporting that since there are constituency delays in the updated Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the university is unlikely to receive student information for the 2024-25 academic year from the federal government until mid-to-late-March.
The University’s Office of Enrollment Management said that once they receive the information, they will work quickly to release the financial aid packages for the 2024-25 school year.
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