AAU, and four other higher education organizations, joined a letter led by ACE to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce supporting H.R. 8932, the FAFSA Deadline Act. The letter states “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. Making such a change would have significant benefits for students applying or returning to college each year and is a priority of the higher education community.”
Dear Chairwoman Foxx and Ranking Member Scott,
On behalf of the undersigned higher education associations, we write to offer our support for H.R. 8932, the FAFSA Deadline Act, which the committee will mark up tomorrow. 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. Making such a change would have significant benefits for students applying or returning to college each year and is a priority of the higher education community.
Giving students additional time to fully understand the financial aid available to them is critical for a number of reasons. As we noted in our May 22, 2024, letter to your committee, “moving the statutory deadline to October 1st would ensure that students have ample time to complete the form; give college access organizations and counselors time to support student completion; and allow institutions to process aid awards in time for students to make the best college decisions.”1 This year, we have also seen the unfortunate consequences of delays in that information reaching students, with a current 11.6 percent decline in completed FAFSA applications at this point in the process.2
We appreciate the effort and attention your committee has paid to improving the FAFSA process and to meeting the needs of low-income students. We strongly support the FAFSA Deadline Act and encourage your members to vote for it in a bipartisan manner when it is marked up tomorrow.
Sincerely,
American Association of Community Colleges
American Association of State Colleges and Universities
American Council on Education
Association of American Universities
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
1 https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Letter-House-FAFSA-Fix-Proposal-052224.pdf
2 https://www.ncan.org/page/fafsatracker retrieved on 7/8/24