New FAFSA Application Faces Access Issues

Delayed launch and technical difficulties frustrate students, push back financial aid notifications.

The new online application for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) went live this week, but many students have reported difficulties in accessing it.
The FAFSA typically opens at the beginning of October, but was delayed three months due to the launch of the new application.
The Department of Education announced a soft launch until all bugs in the new application are fixed.
Over half a million successful submissions have been received as of Thursday evening.
Due to the delayed launch, colleges won't receive FAFSA information until the end of January at the earliest, pushing back the notification of financial aid awards.