Did a federal snafu break college admissions?

May 1 is usually a big day for college admissions. This year it was "marred by the federal government's botched rollout" of its new financial aid application," said The Associated Press. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid — known as FAFSA — was overhauled to make it "simpler and shorter." But a "series of blunders" at the U.S. Department of Education made the online form all but unusable for many families. The result? With the start of classes just a few months away, many hopeful students "don't know where they're going to college, or how they're going to pay for it."

"Everything is wrong," one college and career counselor told Inside Higher Ed. The problems with FAFSA "disproportionately affected low-income students who rely on federal aid" and who couldn't make informed college decisions without knowing how much money would be available to them. Some students "will delay attending, and some will forgo it entirely," Daniel Currell said at The New York Times. That will have "lasting implications" for those young people — and, eventually, "for the economy as a whole."

What did the commentators say?

"God help you if you have a high school senior applying to colleges this year," Jim Geraghty said at National Review. The number of low-income students who have completed the FAFSA process is — at last check — down by 34.4% from last year. Unrealistic deadlines and lax oversight by Education Department officials complicated the new FAFSA rollout. It's a disaster. "It's one of the biggest and most far-reaching Biden administration screw-ups."

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"In America, the hardest thing about getting into college tends to be figuring out how to pay for it," David M. Perry said at CNN. Families must "fight their way through endless bureaucracy" to determine the cost of college and get the aid to pay. That's a problem whether FAFSA works or not. A better path wouldn't make hopeful families jump through so many hoops. "Public higher education could, and should, offer a high quality and low or no cost pathway to a college degree." 

The FAFSA frustrations "are worth enduring," The Yakima Herald-Republic said in an editorial. Updating the online form was intended to "increase the availability of aid and streamline applications," and eventually it will improve. "Students should have more aid options" and colleges should see their admissions strengthened. It's hard to see that right now, though: The government "didn't get it right on the first try." The long-term benefits are worth it, though. "It's in everybody's best interest for this to work."

What next?

The disaster has claimed one casualty: Richard Cordray, the Biden administration's top student loan official, is stepping down. Meanwhile, some institutions are scrambling to help students: In West Virginia, Gov. Jim Justice (R) declared a state of emergency to suspend the FAFSA requirement for state financial aid programs.

But the damage may still be done. "Fewer high school seniors could be headed to college this fall," said Forbes. And there will be fallout. One college president told the Times that fewer FAFSA applications probably will mean fewer new workers in high-demand occupations — "registered nurses, manufacturing engineers, those kinds of jobs." This year's college disaster could affect the workforce for years to come.