February 15, 2024 2:50 a.m.

On Wednesday, Senators Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley and Senate colleagues called on the U.S. Department of Education to urgently address the operational issues with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid form that impacts many students in Oregon and nationwide.

The senators wrote, “We are supportive of the Department’s decision to make these adjustments in the updated form, but were disappointed to hear these adjustments would lead to even further delays in this year’s FAFSA processing…We write today to ask for more clarity on how the Department plans to communicate any further delays in FASHA processing, and how the Department intends to minimize the potential impact on students and families so they can make the most informed decision possible about their futures, including through providing prompt, clear timelines”, the senators wrote in a letter to Education Department Secretary Miguel Cardona.

The release said every year, about 17 million students fill out the FAFSA form as a first step to access the financial aid needed to cover the skyrocketing costs of higher education. In 2020, Congress passed the bipartisan FAFSA Simplification Act to make the federal student financial aid process more efficient and straightforward. The legislation directed the department to streamline the application form and make long overdue updates to the formulas that assess a student’s financial need. According to the department, as a result of this law, the 2024-2025 FAFSA form will ensure 610,000 more students from low-income backgrounds will be eligible to receive a federal Pell Grant, and 1.5 million more students will be eligible to receive a maximum Pell award.

However, implementation of these changes was a significant undertaking, one that the department has had to do with less funding than anticipated. As a result, operational glitches and delays in the rollout of this new version of the FAFSA form has left students and colleges in limbo and locked many families out of the process altogether.

The letter was led by Senators Bernie Sanders and Patty Murray. Alongside Wyden and Merkley, it was signed by 34 other senators.