Owens Pushes for FAFSA Reform

WASHINGTON — Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee Chair Burgess Owens (R-UT) voted to pass the FAFSA Deadline Act, ensuring that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is fully operational by October 1st.

“For too long, families have been left scrambling due to the Education Department’s FAFSA delays and dysfunction, putting futures on hold and dreams at risk,” said Rep. Owens. “With today’s passage of the FAFSA Deadline Act, House Republicans are providing students and parents with the tools they need to plan for college and access financial aid. This is a victory for accountability, for opportunity, and, most importantly, for the millions of young Americans who deserve better.” 

Background: 

• The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a cornerstone of college affordability, connecting students to federal aid programs such as Pell Grants, work-study funds, and federal student loans. Historically, the FAFSA has been released on October 1, providing students, families, and schools sufficient time to prepare for the upcoming academic year. Under the Higher Education Act, the FAFSA must be made available no later than January 1, but earlier release is strongly preferred to ensure smooth processing and planning.  
• For the 2024-2025 school year, the Biden-Harris Department of Education repeatedly delayed the release of the FAFSA, eventually issuing a “soft launch” on December 31. Even after this delayed release, key components of the application remained unavailable for months, preventing students from submitting their forms or correcting errors. In addition to the delay, millions of processed FAFSAs contained calculation errors, rendering them unusable for institutions and requiring significant reprocessing. 
• These delays caused widespread confusion for families and placed additional burdens on schools, states, and nonprofits that rely on accurate and complete FAFSA data for processing aid packages and awarding scholarships. 
• According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), approximately 430,000 fewer students submitted a FAFSA for the 2024-2025 academic year, and colleges reported the steepest drop in first-year enrollment since the pandemic.  
• H.R. 8932, the FAFSA Deadline Act, addresses these systemic issues by mandating an October 1 release date for the FAFSA. This reform will provide families and schools with the clarity and predictability needed to make informed decisions about higher education, ensuring no student’s future is derailed by bureaucratic failures.