Perdue criticizes overhaul of federal student aid process

ATLANTA — University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue is asking the U.S. Department of Education to delay processing federal student aid applications because of the botched rollout of a simplified application website.

The simplified website for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) was launched last December following a two-month delay supposedly to fix glitches. But when the new system finally went online, students and their families quickly found flaws, including limited hours of availability and the loss of saved information.

“By almost all accounts, the launch of the simplified FAFSA can only be categorized as an abject failure,” Perdue wrote in a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona dated last Friday.

“It has had unprecedented levels of ongoing and new issues that will delay aid and negatively impact students and campuses in ways we do not yet fully know. It has stretched our campus financial aid offices to the limit. ... What upsets me most, however, is the impact this failure is having on thousands of students here in Georgia and across the nation who have done absolutely nothing wrong.”

Perdue is asking the feds to extend a reporting deadline for schools to July 1, 2025, and to delay the release of the 2025-26 FAFSA “until all component systems and services are fully functional and ready to be delivered.”

“I commend the actions of Congress to simplify the financial aid process for students,” Perdue continued. “However, given the issues with the launch, to expect institutions to continue to operate, serve students and families and fulfill their core mission in this environment is unreasonable, unfair and wrong.”