Filing Troubles: Debt.com Survey Reveals 3 in 4 Americans Frustrated with FAFSA Process Despite the Education Department’s promises of a “Better FAFSA,” technical glitches and an overwhelming number of questions continue to hinder families seeking vital financial aid for college.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla
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October 07, 2024 01:11 PM Eastern Daylight Time
A recent Debt.com survey of 1,000 Americans reveals that the most common issues encountered when filing a FAFSA application are an excessive number of questions and a malfunctioning website.
Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step toward obtaining Pell Grants, scholarships, and federal student loans. However, the debut of the “Better FAFSA” program has been marred by technical problems that have delayed the timely processing of applications, as reported by The Hill.
“What’s both ironic and a little sad is that this is supposed to be the first year of a new-and-improved FAFSA,” says Debt.com president Don Silvestri. “Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act in 2020, and the results were implemented at the beginning of this academic year. Our research shows it hasn’t worked out quite like the federal government expected.”
President of Debt.com
Seventy-six percent of those surveyed who filed FAFSA say they’ve had challenges and 48% say there were far too many questions, while 31% cited issues with the website being consistently under maintenance, and 23% of those who had trouble said the FAFSA took at least 3 ½ hours to complete. Other findings include:
87% of respondents feel their child would qualify for the Pell Grant
77% said they believe the Pell Grant would add to their student loan debt, which is untrue as the grant doesn’t have to be paid back
58% said filing FAFSA and receiving Pell grants, scholarships, and/or worked study helped them stay out of
42% said FAFSA did not help them, and they had to take on student loan debt
“My hope is that, as AI gets smarter and more ubiquitous, it can be used to truly simply and shorten FAFSA,” Silvestri says. “Until then, I don’t doubt there are students who are missing out on badly needed funds because they can’t navigate the application process.”
President of Debt.com
The FAFSA will be available on October 1 for students attending the 2025-2026 academic year. The Education Department says the “Better FAFSA” will take 15 minutes. It will be the second year of the Education Department’s “Better FAFSA” financial aid form and a test to see if the form has actually been improved.
About Debt.com
Debt.com is a resource that offers consumers education, self-help guides, professional solutions, and more. On Debt.com, consumers can find expert money advice–how to make it, how to save it, and how to spend it. They also assist consumers by matching them with the perfect debt-solution company for their situation and making sure they are happy with the results. Debt.com has been featured in the Washington Post, Yahoo! Finance, Forbes, and more, making them a pillar of the debt relief industry.
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