CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio — College-bound students are now able to start the process of filing for federal aid, as FAFSA launched its expanded BETA rollout of its new form this week.
The application's release comes more than six weeks later than usual because the Department of Education has been slowly testing its new form after last year’s infamous delays, frustrations and headaches where students found themselves unable to access the form for extended periods of time.
“In the beginning you could only access it at certain times, which was a little frustrating," one student told News 5 earlier this year.
RELATED: Delays with new FAFSA application system make it challenging for some colleges
"It was a very difficult scenario for our families to go through the process," Andrew Zahuranec, owner of the college prep consultant Class 101 Cleveland, said. "There was a lot of drama, a lot of anxiety and a lot of concerns with families. They simply didn’t know what to expect."
That meant, ultimately, some students couldn’t make informed decisions on where to go to college because they didn’t know how much it would cost.
For those needing a refresher, FAFSA helps give families an opportunity to get financial aid through the government and possibly get scholarships, grants and, of course, loans, Zahuranec explained.
Zahuranec recalled how some parents hosted graduation parties in June this year, still unaware of how much aid their children would receive at some colleges.
Fast forward to today, and Zachuranec told News 5 he’s been preparing his families for whatever the form looks like this year.
"You need to get prepared and as much information ahead of time," he explained. "You don't want to be looking for your tax returns and other financial information. The sooner you can get applied to college, the sooner you can get acceptances. The sooner you can get the FAFSA completed, the sooner you can get your financial aid packages. It just makes a lot of sense, and students can make a reasonable decision."
Typically, the FAFSA form is available to students on or around Oct. 1. That wasn't the case for the previous school year, which was closer to the start of the new year.
This year's FAFSA form has launched (in beta form) ahead of its Dec. 1 planned official rollout after more than 14,000 beta participants completed their form.
In a release, the Department of Education said it received a satisfaction rating for beta participants of 95%.
In the first 24 hours, more than 50,000 forms were filled out, according to the Department of Education.
In 2022-2023, more than 17 million students filed FAFSA forms.
For parent Alexis Penkala, she heard the horror stories last year. That’s why she’s gone out of her way to ensure her daughter Mariela is ready for whatever happens with the form this year.
"It was very scary," she said. "As a parent, you’re just trying to find the right place for your child. It’s a lot of pressure for everybody.
With a background in IT, Penkala understands how tech mishaps can happen. But she's also aware that with the already delayed rollout, it could be six weeks later than normal that they learn how much aid could be coming her daughter’s way.
"We’ll just have to see what it looks like," she said.
While FAFSA's form is available to anyone in beta right now, the official rollout is still scheduled for around Dec. 1.
Clay LePard is a special projects reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on Twitter @ClayLePard, on Facebook Clay LePard News 5 or email him at Clay.LePard@WEWS.com.
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