WASHINGTON – A measure to ensure federal student aid opens by Oct. 1 each year passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday with overwhelming bipartisan support.
The effort — which passed 381-1 — came after the U.S. Department of Education faced intense backlash over the botched rollout of the 2024-25 program Free application for state student aidor FAFSA. California Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren was the only lawmaker to vote against the bill.
Although the form was revised following Congress’ passage of the FAFSA Simplification Act in slow 2020, users experienced several glitches and technical errors during the form’s supple launch in December and after its full rollout in January, resulting in delays in the form processing and gaps in submissions.
The department has been working to resolve these glitches and close this gap. At the same time, major issues that prevented parents without Social Security numbers from filling out the form were addressed.
There is also another complication: the department said in August It would operate a phased rollout of Form 2025-26 to fix any errors that may arise before making it available to everyone – and make the application fully available two months later than usual.
Codified deadline
Although the department legally has until January 1 to implement the form, it typically starts on October 1.
U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin, Indiana Republican and member of the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee, in July introduced the bill to standardize this deadline.
“I am particularly frustrated considering the Department of Education has had three years to simplify the FAFSA as Congress dictated,” Houchin said during Friday’s floor debate.
you too referred to more recent findings from the Government Accountability Office, including the fact that nearly three-quarters of all calls to the call center went unanswered during the first five months of the 2024-25 rollout.
“We want this program to work – we want to ensure that children and families who want to send their children to college have the opportunity to do so and that the FAFSA is available and viable,” she added.
U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, ranking member of the House Education Panel, reiterated his support during floor debate, saying the measure will “help more students get the information they need in a timely manner to access Pell Grants and… other important students to receive help.”
Scott initially opposed the effort when the committee took it up in July, concerned that the implementation deadline could force the department to adopt an incomplete form on Oct. 1 of this year.
“However, as we consider the bill now after October 1, the deadline is next year, 2025, and that gives the department ample time to make improvements and address any remaining issues,” the Virginia Democrat said.
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, introduced a companion bill in July.
The bill has been referred to the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, where Cassidy serves as ranking member. After Republicans won the Senate majority in the November 5 election, Cassidy is in line take over the chairmanship of the committee next year.
Last updated at 1:36 p.m., November 15, 2024
