Why families applying for financial aid may initially have trouble with the new FAFSA

Washington CNN —

A long-awaited update to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as the FAFSA, was released on December 30.But some families are having trouble accessing the onlineform, which has so far only been available for short periods of time.

During what the Department of Education is calling a “soft launch,” the agency is monitoring site performance, conducting planned pauses for maintenance and making updates.

The FAFSA application was available for a 30-minute window on December 30, a 30-minute window on December 31 and a two-hour window on January 1, according to the Department of Education. More than 30,000 forms were successfully submitted during those times, and the form was reopened the afternoon of January 2.

When the FAFSA is paused, families may not be able to start or resume work on the form, which will be used to determine financial aid eligibility for the 2024-25 academic year.

The form is expected to be available for short periods of time during the coming days.

This screenshot from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid website shows the new form is occasionally unavailable because of maintenance.

Have you filled out the new FAFSA to get college financial aid?

The Department of Education has been working on a major overhaul of the FAFSA for about three years, after Congress approved changes to the form to make it shorter and easier to fill out. More students are expected to qualify for financial aid.

Usually, the form is available October 1 each year, but the changes delayed this year’s release date. The updated form was required by law to be available by January 1, 2024.

Still, the Department of Education has said that families do not need to rush to