The U.S. Department of Education has jeopardized access to financial aid for millions of college students and their families—all because it failed to create a functional online form.
In what is possibly the largest web-based government fumble since the rollout of HealthCare.gov in 2013, the updated Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online form has been a glitch-filled fiasco, infuriating families and universities alike.
Students seeking federal loans and grants must use the FAFSA form, but it’s also essential for those who don’t intend to take federal money, since the vast majority of U.S. colleges use it to determine institutional financial aid.
The current problems stem from the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which aimed to simplify the FAFSA process. That’s a wise goal, but the department’s botched implementation has generated so many technical issues that millions of students have been left in…
