King, Colleagues Urge Department of Education to Address FAFSA Rollout Issues
WASHINGTON, D.C. – RealEstateRama – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) has joined a group of his colleagues urging the Department of Education to quickly address issues with the new simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, the members expressed their support for the continued implementation of the FAFSA Simplification Act, bipartisan legislation passed in Congress in 2020 to make the federal student financial aid process more efficient. The FAFSA helps millions of students across the country access financial aid to help further their education, but recent delays and glitches associated with the new form have raised concerns that students and families could be left out of the process entirely. The letter also encourages additional efforts to minimize further delays and to provide clear guidance for students applying for aid.
“We write today to ask for more clarity on how the Department plans to communicate any further delays in FAFSA processing, and how the Department intends to minimize the potential impact on students and families so they can make the most informed decision possible about their futures, including through providing prompt, clear timelines,” the members wrote.
“Any delays in financial aid processing will most impact the students that need aid most, including many students of color, students from mixed status families, students from rural backgrounds, students experiencing homelessness or in foster care, first-generation students, and students from underserved communities,” the members continued. “For institutions to support students’ ability to make informed decisions about their future, they need clear guidance and resources from the Department immediately on any and all next steps.”
Senator King is a staunch advocate for improving education access for Maine students. In addition to expanding broadband internet access to close the “homework gap,” King has secured funding to make early education programs more accessible. Last Congress, King introduced the Housing for Homeless Students Act in an effort to support students both in the classroom and at home.
U.S Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tina Smith, (D-MN), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Bob Casey (D-PA), John Fetterman (D-PA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mazie Hirano (D-HI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Peter Welch (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Mark Kelly (D- AZ), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Mark Warner (D-VA) joined King on this letter.
The full text of the letter can be found here and below.
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