The revamp of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid was intended to make it easier for students attending college to apply for federal grants, loans and work-study arrangements. But a botched rollout, plagued by missteps, delays, and glitches, has created even more obstacles.
In a normal year, universities send out financial aid offers shortly after acceptance letters in April. That way, prospective students can understand the cost before deciding to attend, usually by May 1. But with delay after delay, the normal timeline has shifted, with the Department of Education only just beginning to ramp up the delivery of completed forms to financial aid offices this week.
