Rep. Sykes Votes for FAFSA Fix
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) voted in favor of the bipartisan FAFSA Deadline Act. This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to be released annually by October 1 instead of January 1. Current law encourages the Secretary of Education to release the FAFSA form on October 1 “to the maximum extent practicable,” but no later than January 1. The bill also requires the Secretary to provide annual assurance to Congress that the FAFSA will be launched on time.
This bill was introduced in response to a botched rollout of the updated FAFSA form that resulted in months of delays. Last year, the form had over 40 technical issues which led to the FAFSA application not being made available to students and families until December 30, 2023, nearly three months later than usual. In 2024, the FAFSA application is expected to be open to students on December 1, 2024, two months later than is usual.
“After hearing concerns from countless students and families about delays in the FAFSA application, Congress has taken action to ensure that the application process will run smoothly and be free of delays for future school years,” said Rep. Sykes. “I voted for the FAFSA Deadline Act to solidify the deadline for the application release as October 1 each year to provide certainty for families and students who rely on federal financial aid to pay for college. My team and I are available to assist constituents who have questions or concerns with the Department of Education.”
The FAFSA Deadline Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 381-1.