Families hit roadblocks accessing new FAFSA form: 'It was frustrating'

BALTIMORE -- Families trying to secure financial aid for their children's college costs have been hitting roadblocks as they deal with the rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

The FAFSA is an application that helps determine students' financial aid eligibility. 

The U.S. Department of Education debuted the 2024-25 version Sunday, but some families have had trouble even just accessing it.

Cynthia Reed, from Carroll County, was one of those parents having issues. 

She heard the new FAFSA form was supposed to be a simpler and easier form, but she said the rollout has been anything but simple.

"It was frustrating," Reed said.

The soft launch opened the form at certain hours. 

Reed and her daughter started trying over the weekend but didn't get it done until Tuesday.

"I was being proactive," Reed said. "I wanted to sign up as soon as possible, but it definitely wasn't ready on [Dec. 31] when they said it would be. I couldn't get in that day, then they kept giving you times and it wasn't ready."

The 2024-25 FAFSA has cut down the amount of questions asked and changed the way it calculates eligibility. The aim is to make it easier to file and get more students access to financial help.

With the application period starting months later than usual, the Maryland Higher Education Commission extended the FAFSA deadline for state aid to June 1.

The federal FAFSA deadline is June 30, but the priority deadline for all aid is still March 1.

"We want to give [families] more time and we want to give them more assistance in applying for these financial resources," Dr. Sanjay Rai, acting secretary for MHEC.

In Maryland, according to Rai, there are more than $130 million in scholarships and grants available.

The new FAFSA is expected to increase the number of Pell Grant recipients in the state by more than 36%, which benefits low-income students.

While Reed has filed for her daughter already, she worries other families will be missing out because of the delayed start.

"My daughter already knows where she's going, but for some people, the aid they they get matters to where they go," she said. "It's pretty late."

The U.S. Department of Education announced the 2024-25 FAFSA will be open between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.

You can find the form here.