Isela Guadalupe Bonilla faced challenges navigating the complex Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a federal form crucial for college financial aid. Many of her classmates abandoned the effort due to the complexities involved. Despite the hurdles, Bonilla, now a junior at Washington State University’s Vancouver campus, managed to complete the FAFSA with persistence.
“I took a lot of time and effort to teach myself and my family members,” she said. “A lot of people can’t and don’t do that.”
FAFSA’s complexity often deters students, leaving billions in aid unclaimed. Despite a recent overhaul aimed at simplification, the process faced delays and technical issues, further reducing completion rates. A significant decline in college enrollment followed, as reported by the National College Attainment Network (NCAN). To address these challenges, the U.S. House approved a measure requiring FAFSA’s release by October 1 annually, awaiting Senate approval.
Washington and other states propose bypassing FAFSA, aiming to automatically grant aid to eligible families. By 2026, Washington plans to assure free public college tuition for low-income students receiving SNAP benefits. This initiative targets early college awareness by informing qualifying students as early as 10th grade.
Washington will still urge FAFSA completion for federal aid, said Michael Meotti, executive director of the Washington Student Achievement Council. He emphasized that many students qualifying for state aid miss out due to late applications or not applying at all.
“We don’t know how many students we lost because of excessively complex processes they had to go through,” he said. “We wanted to tell students, ‘We still want you to fill out FAFSA, but we promise you won’t be getting a bill for tuition.'”
Other states, like Michigan, have experimented with automatic scholarships for low-income students without relying on FAFSA, with varying success. The University of Michigan’s pilot significantly increased applications from eligible students.
However, reliance on SNAP data for aid eligibility presents challenges. Federal agencies are hesitant to share personal data, though states like Washington are exploring ways to use such data effectively.
“We picked SNAP for a reason,” Meotti said. “SNAP has the deepest reach among low-income households in this state and probably every state in the nation.”
Experts caution against abandoning FAFSA entirely, highlighting its role in providing broader scholarship opportunities. Once technical issues are resolved, FAFSA is expected to streamline and enhance the aid application process.
For more on alternatives to FAFSA, visit The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit focused on inequality and innovation in education.
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