Over 1 Million Students Apply for Financial Aid as 2024-25 FAFSA Form Goes 24/7

Over one million applications have been submitted to the US Department of Education through the updated 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®), which is the official application for federal student aid, the Department has announced.

The form under which individuals can pay for college in an attempt to provide accessible higher education, has been launched and is now available to students and families 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Erudera.com reports.

Commenting on the numbers, the US Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona said it demonstrates the Department’s commitment to provide a simplier and easier application process for financial aid than ever before.

“Over one million students and families and counting have successfully filled out the ‘Better FAFSA,’ which is now available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The fact that over a million students were able to complete the Better FAFSA during its brief soft launch period underscores our commitment to making applying for college financial aid simpler and easier than ever before,” Cardona said.

He further said that the Better FAFSA also aims to make the financial aid application process more user-friendly and accessible, assisting about 610,000 students from families with low incomes to reach affordable higher education. These students will be eligible for Pell Grants for the first time.

The 2024–25 FAFSA form was launched on December 30, 2023, allowing periodic access to students and families.

The Department has closely monitored the website performance and fixed things in real time. They paused for maintenance and updates to improve the experience for students and families. From now on, the form will always be available, except during regular maintenance for the FAFSA cycle.

Federal Student Aid Chief Richard Cordray highlighted the positive feedback received from students and families and the improved user experience of the new FAFSA form.

“We have heard from students and families that the new FAFSA form is a better experience that’s easier to complete. We recognize how important it is for students and families to get the information they need on StudentAid.gov to plan for the upcoming school year,” Cordray stated.

Cordray reassured there will be continuous communication with students, families, and educational institutions about accessing the maximum available support so they can pursue their dreamed higher education.

Individuals should fill out the FAFSA form to apply for student aid, such as federal grants, work-study funds, and loans.

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