Student frustrations with the new FAFSA form including hours-long waits on hold for assistance prompted the passage of a California Assembly Bill 1887 that bumps the deadline from April 2 to May 2.
The extension of the priority deadline provides students with additional time to submit their financial aid applications, including the Cal Grant and Middle-Class Scholarship programs.
The proposal comes on the heels of widespread discontent voiced by students across California regarding the technical glitches in the newly implemented form. The form was intended to make it easier for students to fill out, but it’s stunted roll-out and setbacks have inhibited this goal.
According to Shelveen Ratnam, Communication and Public Affairs Coordinator of California Student Aid, “mixed-status” families are the ones that don’t obtain a social security number.
Students like Sophia Castro Guerra and Rubi Funez-Medina from CSULB have faced significant hurdles in completing the FAFSA due to verification challenges and confusing interface changes.
Funez-Medina emphasized the difficulties faced by students, particularly those with undocumented parents, in navigating the financial aid application process.
“The difficulties of the navigation of the form has made the parent part very difficult for those who have undocumented parents and I have not been able to fill out my form,” Funez-Medina said.
The excessive wait times also had Guerra worried if she would have her form submitted on time as she was told issues would be fixed by the end of this month.
“A three-hour phone call, most of which was spent on hold, was what helped me finally take steps forward to help me start the process of finishing my form,” Guerra said.
Another issue that students faced was the requirement for both parents to complete the form. While one parent already had an established account due to previous FAFSA submissions, creating an account for the second parent proved to be a tedious task.
“I haven’t even been able to start the parent part of the form,” Castro Guerra said. “The parent FAFSA ID verification has been a problem for a long time with this new FAFSA form, and it’s disheartening to see that they have not fixed the problem even though the time to submit is coming up soon for many colleges and universities.”
Ratnam emphasized their efforts to support students during this challenging process.
“This was a solution to support students and give students another month to have an opportunity to fill out their forms,” Ratnam said. “We host workshops to help students understand the FAFSA forms, thousands of events already and trained officials to work with students.”
Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes, the sponsor of the bill, expressed her satisfaction with the decision in a press release, emphasizing the importance of easing the financial burden on California students.
“Making the path to fulfilling our students’ dreams of achieving higher education more affordable and accessible is among the highest duties of our state government,” Cervantes said.
Nicholas Novello, Financial Aid Director at CSULB, highlighted the benefits of this extension.
“Students will have additional time to meet the priority deadline, increasing their chances of qualifying for aid,” he said.
Marlene Garcia, Executive Director of the California Student Aid Commission, emphasized the importance of policymakers and educational partners in ensuring students have the necessary time and resources to apply for financial aid.
“We are deeply appreciative of our policymakers coming together, along with all our partners across K-12 and higher education, in helping ensure students have the time and assistance to apply for financial aid,” Garcia said in a press release.
On the California Student Aid Commission website there is a list of available virtual workshops if help is needed:
- Non-SSN Contributor Webinar April 9 from 5:30-6:45 p.m.
- Non-SSN Contributor Webinar April 6 from 10-11:15 a.m.
- Non-SSN Contributor Webinar April 15 from 6-7:15 p.m.
- Non-SSN Contributor Webinar April 24 from 10-11:15 a.m.