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Title: Chutes and Ladders: Falling Behind and Getting Ahead with the Simplified FAFSA
Authors: Jonathan S. Lewis and Alyssa Stefanese Yates
Source: uAspire
Prior to the 2024-25 academic year, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) underwent significant changes, mandated by Congress through the FAFSA Simplification Act. A recent uAspire survey of 274 students, parents, counselors, and financial aid administrators found the changes to the FAFSA entailed a number of “chutes,” or drawbacks, and several “ladders” that allowed for a more streamlined financial aid filing process.
Key survey findings regarding the simplified FAFSA’s benefits and challenges include:
Benefits:
Challenges:
The authors conclude by recommending several additional changes to the FAFSA. To minimize the compounding negative effects of the chutes, financial aid processing should be completed faster; technical glitches should be fixed; and communication, wording, and form accessibility should be improved. The authors also recommend fortifying the ladders by finding additional opportunities to reduce the time spent and frustration felt by those filing.
Overall, the survey highlights how the FAFSA changes produced diverse and polarizing effects. Many students found the process to be simple, securing their financial aid with just a few clicks; other students felt extreme stress caused by technical roadblocks and delays, which left them uncertain about how to pay for school.
To read the full report from uAspire, click here. For additional information and to read about the Jan. 16 webinar with the authors of the report, click here.
—Julia Napier
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