Sandy Jimenez has worked helping students access college for about a quarter-century. But this year, even she is having trouble guiding students through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.

“They’re losing motivation. And really, it’s creating a problem for most of our lowest income students,” she said.

What You Need To Know

  • Students nationwide have struggled to file what was supposed to be a new and improved application for federal student aid, known as FAFSA

  • Glitches and delays have left many students without any information about their financial aid awards
  • The issues are occurring just weeks before they're supposed to make decisions about where to attend college

  • In an effort to help, CUNY is launching a new effort to help 100,000 students complete their FAFSA over the next six months

The federal government launched what it called a “better FAFSA” this school year, but it has been plagued by technical problems and delays. The situation has left many without information about their financial aid picture just weeks before the traditional May 1 college decision day.

“These students need to be able to compare financial aid offers from colleges, right? And if they don’t have any, how can they make an informed decision for themselves?” Jimenez asked.

Jimenez is the postsecondary pathways resource manager at New Visions for Public Schools, where she trains college counselors, and is one of the authors of the free guide “Understanding FAFSA.”

FAFSA is usually available to fill out October 1, but this year wasn’t online until late December. Changes intended to make the process easier for students whose parents don’t have a Social Security number, instead wound up locking many of them out.

As of March 29, only 39.2% of New York State’s graduating seniors had completed their FAFSA, down 24% from the year before, according to the National College Attainment Network.

Even for those who have submitted applications, there have been delays in processing them.

“This was a year that FAFSA was supposed to be simpler, right, and easier for everybody. And it’s turned out to be a real mess,” CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez said.

Like many colleges and universities, CUNY has extended its decision deadline to June 1. 70% of students attend for free, thanks to federal aid, which they can only get by filling out FAFSA.

Now, with a $1 million donation from the Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation, CUNY will launch an effort to help 100,000 city students complete the FAFSA over the next six months. They plan to use an existing network of 200 college-age peer counselors and hire 24 more CUNY students to help applicants in public schools, at libraries and community centers.

Rodriguez and Jimenez both urged students not to give up.

“Some of the students that depend the most on the funding from FAFSA are some of the ones who might be on the fence about applying or not. Sometimes any roadblock becomes a decision from either going to college or not. And we need all that talent. New York City needs all that talent,” Rodriguez said.