The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a vital tool for prospective college students and their parents seeking financial aid. Most colleges use the form when deciding how much aid to offer applicants, and over 17 million students end up filling out the form each year.
However, this year's FAFSA rollout has been plagued by glitches and delays, stemming from the Education Department's attempt to streamline the form. While an updated form was meant to make the application process easier, the department informed colleges that they wouldn't receive crucial FASFA data until sometime in early March—more than a month after the typical January 30 deadline.
