With the Better FAFSA still in limbo, here's what to do as college decisions loom

Even just in Minnesota, this will inconvenience tens of thousands of people, and that's just incoming freshmen alone. For the 2022-23 school year, the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) counted 73,074 eligible high school seniors, with 48% completing a FAFSA application. For the 2021-22 school year, Minnesota students received approximately $2.6 billion in financial aid, OHE reported.

Some technical issues also prevented students from being able to complete, submit or revise their applications. When the application portal first launched, it wasn't available 24/7. Plus at first, the Department of Education was using three-year-old financial tables to gauge college affordability, which potentially limited the amount of aid a student could receive. But throughout the process, the department was tracking issues like these and trying to make updates and fixes.

Because that traditional May 1 deadline is looking less feasible by the day, many schools have extended that deadline, including the University of Minnesota, the University of St. Thomas and Gustavus Adolphus.

As of March 12, colleges had not yet received any FAFSA information from the federal government but were expecting it could start to arrive in a matter of days. The Department of Education previously said schools would have info in late January.

Pam Engebretson, director of financial aid and scholarships for Century College in White Bear Lake, Minnesota — a two-year community and technical college that's part of the Minnesota State system — said she is expecting the Department of Education "to be able to work through the backlog" of applications."

In the meantime, financial aid staffers encouraged students to learn the details of the new system, stay in contact with their colleges and not let the process intimidate them.

In reaction to challenges with the new FAFSA program, some colleges are becoming more proactive about communicating with students.

"We made a commitment to be a source of information for students," said Susan Ant, director of financial aid and scholarships for Bloomington, Minnesota-based Normandale Community College. "If you get stuck, don't stop. Come and see us instead."

Ant said for the students who have made it through the new process, they have deemed it "easier and faster." So persistence is key.

"Our staff is working directly with students. My biggest advice would be to stay in contact with your school," Burgess said. "This particular year has been a tough transition year."

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