PBS News Hour

usually begins with what's called the# Free Application for Federal Student Aid## or FAFSA.

It helps determine which federal# grants and loans a student qualifies for,## and schools use the information on the# forum to make their financial aid decisions.

Now after years of delays, a new version# of the form is to be released at the end## of the month.

And while it promises# increased access to financial aid,## the delays are likely to be putting# universities and students in a bind,## giving them less time to crunch the numbers and# comb over the details of fina Danielle Douglas-Gabriel covers the economics and## finances of higher education for# The Washington Post.

Da what are the big changes in this form?

There was# significant changes and why DANIELLE DOUGLAS-GABRIEL, The# Washington Post: So there are a## lot of r questions instead of 106 are down to 36# questions, which is great for families.

Also, there are far more people who# will qualify for the maximum amount## of the Pell Grant Award.

This is a form# of federal aid that goes to low and middle## income students.

Now instead of only a few# million, being able to qualify for the max,## another 1.5 million students will get the full# max, which at this year stands at over $7,000.

And then also it'll be a whole lot easier for# families to get their financial information## from the IRS automatically populated onto# the FAFSA form, which also really saves## you time skip a bunch of questions make# the whole process go by a lot faster.

JOHN YANG: bringing up this new form revising# the form.

Why is this taking so long?

DANIELLE DOUGLAS-GABRIEL: Well, the Education# Department says that it has been a monumental## undertaking, I think they've used that exact# phrase several times in talk in part because you have to overhaul the existing# system systems that haven't been updated for 30,## 40 years.

In some instances, they have# to meet new security standards set by## the IRS to make sure that information that# they're populating onto the forum is secure.

All of these moving parts and pieces# are happening at the same time,## as the department has a laundry list# of policy projects to try to get done,## including making it easier for public servants to# get loan forgiveness to make it easier for people## who have been paying back their loans for 20,# 25 years to get some loan forgiveness as well,## in addition to lots of other policy# priorities, and there are only but so## many people at the department and they're all# working on all these very So as a result, the department# says there has been some delays.

JOHN YANG: This is a whole new system,# it's going to be brand new.

Are ther advocates for students who for financial# aid who worry that there are go be some glitches unforeseen problems# that will screw up the w DANIELLE DOUGLAS-GABRIEL: I mean, that's always a# possibility when you are standing up a new and when you're making such big changes to# an existing system.

I think of advocates are more concerned with what# the delays will mean for students and their## families in terms of making informed decisions# about financial aid and where to attend college.

As you remember, John, this form not only is# used by the federal government to determine aid,## but also states to determine state# aid for college students as well as## the schools of which they attend.

So all# of those pieces have to come together in## order for families to figure out where# could they can afford to go to college.

JOHN YANG: And it's becoming available sort of in# the middle of the college application process.

used to be available at the beginning in# October what effect is that delay have?

DANIELLE DOUGLAS-GABRIEL: So the issue here# is for a lot of the states that rely on the## facet to make their student aid determinations.# Some states have those forms ou some states have them out at the end of December.

So having delays on the federal end# could delay student's advantage of state aid.

And without# the federal government saying, hey,## states, were a little bit behind.

Can# you please cut students a little slack?

I think a lot of advocates are worried# that students may miss out on aid that## they otherwise would have qualified for.# Because so many instances it's first come,## first serve.

And if there's a delay on one# end, then it kind of sets everything else back.

JOHN YANG: What are the other changes# I understand wanting to make was to## adjust the numbers automatically in# the form to consider for But that hasn't worked out quite as well has it?

DANIELLE DOUGLAS-GABRIEL: Not exactly.# So, one of laws that Congress passed in order to# make all these changes possible that there'd be a greater amount of income# protection.

So for parents an increase of## 20 percent, students an increase of 35 percent,# and students who have children on their own,## an increase of 60 percent of your income# would be protected in the formula.

In addition to that protection, all of# that would be adjusted for inflation.

Now,## the department accidentally forgot to# input that inflation adjustment.

And it## happened to be at one of the periods# of the highest level of inflation,## inflation records that we haven't seen for# generations.

So as a result of that, it## creates an artificially high calculation of what# people should be paying, or what they actually## should receive in federal student aid, and state# and institutional aid.

So that's a huge concern.

The Department says they're aware of# it, they're going to fix it for the## next cycle.

But for this upcoming# cycle, the '24, '25 academic th ere are a lot of students who may not get# as much aid as they are actually entitled to.

JOHN YANG: This is, as we've been talking# a very complicated, very complex process,## sort of daunting for parents and students# to go through what advice do you have for## parents and students who are doing# this, perhaps for the first time?

DANIELLE DOUGLAS-GABRIEL: Don't be# frightened, I have to say this forum## is a lot simpler and a lot easier to# access than many moons ago.

And I think that's a great# thing, right?

It's a lot shorter.

It's a lot## more intuitive.

And it should be really helpful# for parents to get through this with ease.

I would also advise to get it# done as quickly as you can, again,## a lot of states are first come, first serve# with their scholarships and grants institutions in some instances also think# about it in that way.

But all that really## matters is getting the form filled out and# don't think because you are a you know,## upper middle income family that you shouldn't# fill it out there is aid available for everyone.## And it's not just need based aid for this.# It's also merit based in some instances.

So please make sure to take advantage of this form## in order to get as much money as# your student could qualify for.

JOHN YANG: Good advice from# Danielle Douglas-Gabriel with## the Washington Post.

Thank you very much.

DANIELLE DOUGLAS-GABRIEL: Thank you.