Federal Financial Aid Program Is a Mess - In Rhode Island, There Is Help for Families

Federal Financial Aid Program Is a Mess - In Rhode Island, There Is Help for Families

The U.S. Department of Education rolled out a new federal financial aid form in 2024. It was supposed to make the application process easier for tens of millions of Americans — instead, it has been technology chaos.

The Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA) has a free service to help Rhode Island families navigate the complexities of the new system.

RISLA is a non-profit state agency offering students and families nationwide college planning services,  low-cost student loans, scholarships, and student refinancing options. 

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

This week, Congress grilled the U.S. Department of Education on the technology failure.

“We’ve had 32 years of a functioning system that served hundreds of millions of students and thousands of institutions,” said Utah representative Burgess Owens, the Republican chair of the higher education subcommittee, according to Inside High Education. “Within three years, Biden’s Department of Education has managed to bring the education industry a possible game-changing crisis.”

According to the national data, FAFSA applications for the 2024-25 academic year are down by about 40% compared to the previous year, leading to worries that fewer high school seniors will opt to attend college in the fall.

In Rhode Island, the numbers are better but for some schools, the situation is critical.

“One of the Rhode Island schools is down 60% in financial aid forms and that is very concerning because the Rhode Island Promise program has been a tremendous resource for many many Rhode Islanders,” said Stacy Crooks of RISLA.

The Rhode Island Promise program allows eligible Rhode Islanders access to free tuition. 

 

According to RISLA, the impact of this failure is daunting:

 

- In Rhode Island, approximately 1,400 fewer FAFSAs have been filed than this time last year, a 21% decrease.

 

- At one RI school, FAFSA completions are down over 60%

 

- Of the FAFSAs that have been submitted, 20% of the income calculations are wrong, which could impact financial aid awards.

 

- FAFSA problems are a huge barrier for first-generation and low-income students who depend on Pell grants and other financial aid the most.

 

- To qualify for free tuition at CCRI, families must complete the FAFSA.

 

Crooks said the problems with the new federal application are serious.

“Unfortunately, due to all the problems from the beginning of the rollout, students of the class of 2024 and their parents have been so completely overwhelmed that they haven't been able to sign the form. In many cases, they've had problems with their FSA IDs, which are the crucial piece to actually getting into the FAFSA system,” said Crooks.

 

 

Resources to Help

FAFSA Hotline available April 12th, 16th, 17th, 18th – 10 AM to 7 PM, Call 401-736-7120.

 

College Planning Center Open House, April 12th at Chapel View Location, Hours 10 AM to 7 PM, No appointment needed.  Free Single serving at ColdStone Creamery for everyone who attends

 

Wednesday, April 17th at 6 PM 

Second Open House: 10 AM to 7 PM at College Planning Center, no appointment needed.

 

Also, go to the help section on the RISLA website. It has a step-by-step tool, and families can schedule a free FAFSA appointment with RISLA HERE.