Indiana falls short of FAFSA goal, holds stable on completions despite rollout woes

Fewer Indiana high school seniors completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid — or FAFSA — this past school year than state leaders hoped. That’s mostly because of delays and glitches in the national rollout of a new form that made it harder for some students and families to complete the FAFSA. The Commision for Higher Education set a goal to have at least 60% of the Class of 2024 complete the FAFSA. But, as of June 21, only about 45% of high school seniors completed the FAFSA,& according to data from the National College Attainment Network. School districts, counselors and students faced several hurdles& this year after the federal Department of Education unveiled a new application, which aimed to “simplify” the process.Many schools were not aware of which students had completed the form because of a delay in federal data stemming from its overhaul. In 2020, Congress ordered the Department of Education to rebuild the FAFSA system with aims to make it easier for families. The application’s rollout was delayed months compared to previous years. Even after the rollout, technical issues plagued the FAFSA website. Some families,& including many parents without social security numbers,& encountered error messages that...