AAU joined ACE and forty other higher education associations to send a letter to Speaker Johnson and Minority Leader Jeffries to offer their support for H.R. 8932, the FAFSA Deadline Act.
Dear Speaker Johnson and Minority Leader Jeffries,
On behalf of the undersigned higher education associations, we write to offer our support for H.R. 8932, the FAFSA Deadline Act, that will be considered on the House floor this week. This bill would move up the statutory date for the annual release of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) from Jan. 1 to Oct. 1 each year. It is important to ensure that students and families have sufficient time to make one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives. Enacting this legislation would have significant benefits for students applying or returning to college each year, and it is a priority of the higher education community.
Completion of the FAFSA is a crucial first step students and families take to increase access to a more affordable postsecondary education. It is our duty to give our students and their families the proper amount of time to decide the best next step for them, and the FAFSA Deadline Act will do just that by codifying an Oct. 1 deadline for the release of the FAFSA.
Given the issues institutions of higher education faced during the 2024-2025 FAFSA processing cycle, it is critically important to avoid future problems. For this academic year, overall first-year enrollment is down by five percent1 at least in part due to issues with the 2024-2025 FAFSA. In addition, universal access to the 2025-2026 FAFSA is already delayed and some campus officials have expressed concerns about whether the FAFSA will be fully available by Dec. 1.
We offer our full support for this piece of legislation and hope to see it pass the House. We look forward to continuing to work with Congress as this bill advances.
Sincerely,
Ted Mitchell President
On behalf of:
Achieving the Dream
ACPA-College Student Educators International
American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
American Association of Community Colleges
American Association of State Colleges and Universities
American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges
American Council on Education
American Psychological Association
APPA: Leadership in Educational Facilities
Association of American Medical Colleges
Association of American Universities
Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
Association of Community College Trustees
Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts
Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health Common App
Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area
Council for Advancement and Support of Education
Council for Christian Colleges & Universities
Council for Opportunity in Education
Council of Graduate Schools
Council on Social Work Education
Great Lakes Colleges Association
Higher Education Loan Coalition
Higher Learning Commission
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
Independent Colleges of Indiana
Maryland Independent College and University Association
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
National Association of College and University Business Officers
National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
New England Commission of Higher Education
North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
State Higher Education Executive Officers Association
WASC Senior College and University Commission
Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
cc: Members of the House of Representatives
1 National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. (2024). Stay informed with the latest enrollment information: National student clearinghouse research center’s regular updates on higher education enrollment. https://nscresearchcenter.org/stay-informed/