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Nov 13, 2024

Another year of FAFSA delays amid application changes, updates - The Beacon

The 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will open on Dec. 1, 2024, two months later than usual, as Federal Student Aid (FSA) addresses persistent technical issues from last year’s

The 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will open on Dec. 1, 2024, two months later than usual, as Federal Student Aid (FSA) addresses persistent technical issues from last year’s troubled rollout.

This year’s application includes key updates to streamline the process, including automatic IRS data retrieval, simplified question wording and new accessibility for contributors without Social Security numbers.

These updates aim to prevent the complications that arose in 2024-25, which left some families — especially those with undocumented parents — struggling to complete the FAFSA.

Financial Aid Director Janet Turner noted that the lack of Social Security workarounds caused major challenges last year.

“Anecdotally, I can say that the FAFSA delay impacted some families,” Turner said. “Federal Student Aid created workarounds for them [undocumented contributions], but it was really late.”

Despite these updates, FSA’s ongoing delays have sparked concerns about decreased enrollment and financial uncertainty. Turner encourages students to prepare early and seek support if they encounter any issues.

“If you come across a roadblock where you can't log in or you aren't able to submit the FAFSA after you fill everything out [I recommend] that you actually contact FSA directly,” Turner said. “I would definitely say don't give up. Keep trying and contact them, and they should be able to help you.”

To maximize aid opportunities, Turner urges in-state students to submit the FAFSA early to secure the Oregon Opportunity Grant, awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

“I would say, don't wait too long,” Turner said. “If you wait until Christmas vacation, that's probably fine, but you don't want to wait until March, April to complete your FAFSA if you're expecting state aid.”

However, Senior Financial Aid Counselor Ceilia Guerra highlights that federal aid isn’t always sufficient, especially for off-campus expenses.

For students needing extra financial support, the Office of Financial Aid is hosting an “Outside Scholarships Workshop” on Nov. 13 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in BC 108.

“We're hoping that having this outside scholarship workshop might just reach out to more students who have questions or maybe aren't aware of what type of scholarships are even out there that they might be able to apply to,” Guerra said. “Because every little bit of extra funds can help, so you know, we really want to be there to help support students in finding scholarships.”

Students will learn more about finding outside scholarships, application tips and how to write strong application essays. No prior registration is needed.

“We'll have a presentation to give, and then we'll stick around afterwards, too, to help answer any questions, or if students even want help, maybe even starting an application,” Guerra said.

Riley Martinez is a member of the editorial board. He can be reached at [email protected].

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