If you are one of the families having difficulty completing the new FAFSA form, you are not alone. Many families are reporting difficulty accessing the new form and finishing it without some sort of glitch. The Department of Education is aware of the issues and has set up a "waiting room" to handle the website traffic and delays. If you are in the process of completing the form and experience some sort of challenge, access the waiting room feature and all of your information will be stored until the form re-opens or the glitch has been resolved.
I am hearing concerns from families who have committed to an early decision without knowing their financial standing. At this point, I recommend speaking to the financial aid office and verifying you can back out of your agreement if the financial aid package offered is insufficient. Most schools are understanding of the situation at this early stage and are facing their own debacles with administering institutional aid in the absence of a clear picture of committed students. The FAFSA is required for many schools as a way to assess needs-based institutional aid - without the data, financial aid offices are delaying offers.
The good news is that you are not alone in having difficulty filling out the new FAFSA. The Department of Education has announced that colleges will NOT receive the information until late January. I'll keep you posted here with any FAFSA updates, but you can also review the DOE website here.
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