Where is the dang FAFSA?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The answer is probably in one of the first 20 or so companies listed here: https://www.usaspending.gov/search/?hash=22c74291a02f6ff600c9679a2dc0f3fe

PP here

Bingo: https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_91003119F0010_9100_GS35F0119Y_4732

CARAHSOFT Technology Corp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The answer is probably in one of the first 20 or so companies listed here: https://www.usaspending.gov/search/?hash=22c74291a02f6ff600c9679a2dc0f3fe

PP here

Bingo: https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_91003119F0010_9100_GS35F0119Y_4732

CARAHSOFT Technology Corp.

You are not delivering this for $14M (currently obligated)
They are a small part of the solution

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The answer is probably in one of the first 20 or so companies listed here: https://www.usaspending.gov/search/?hash=22c74291a02f6ff600c9679a2dc0f3fe

PP here

Bingo: https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_91003119F0010_9100_GS35F0119Y_4732

CARAHSOFT Technology Corp.

summary of requirement for this work: DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FSA) IS CURRENTLY IN NEED OF AKAMAI CONTENT HOSTING APPLICATION ACCELERATION AND SECURITY SERVICES FOR CRITICAL FEDERAL STUDENT AID WEBSITES. THESE WEBSITES INCLUDE THE CENTRAL PROCESSING SYSTEM (FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA) PERSON AUTHENTICATION SYSTEM (PAS) STUDENT AID (STUDENTAID.ED.GOV) AND INFORMATION FOR FINANCIAL AID PROFESSIONALS. https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_91003119F0010_9100_GS35F0119Y_4732

[Anonymous]

I work in tech - saying there is "Planned Maintenance" and it is a "Soft Launch" is making excuses. You do not schedule "Planned Maintenance" for the day something is supposed to launch. As a matter of fact - you coordinate with all the other parts of the office of the CIO to make sure there are no issues.
This is basic project management

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work in tech - saying there is "Planned Maintenance" and it is a "Soft Launch" is making excuses. You do not schedule "Planned Maintenance" for the day something is supposed to launch. As a matter of fact - you coordinate with all the other parts of the office of the CIO to make sure there are no issues.
This is basic project management

Exactly. Well said. And a "soft launch" is still supposed to be a launch. It's supposed to convey that "hey, we are just getting this off the ground so don't be surprised if there are some hiccups." After checking literally 100+ times over the last 48 hours, I have not seen the button to click into/launch the form live once. There is no "soft launch" because NOTHING has been launched. The lack of transparency is really off-putting. Throw the contractor under the bus and point fingers DoE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I wonder is what, if any, impact will this have on the admissions cycle? There must be ED admits waiting to see what their aid offers will be before accepting and withdrawing elsewhere, right? Will it slow down movement of people off the wait list if aid offers are delayed? At this point it seems like it could totally mess up the timeline this cycle. Am I wrong? (Yes, I have a senior applying, and am waiting anxiously for the form to come out).

I think the biggest income will be on the lower-middle class. Poor kids will get lots of aid, even if the offer comes in late. Wealthy kids won't get any, but their families already know that. We're a family for whom this stupid form could actually make a difference in my kids' decisions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I wonder is what, if any, impact will this have on the admissions cycle? There must be ED admits waiting to see what their aid offers will be before accepting and withdrawing elsewhere, right? Will it slow down movement of people off the wait list if aid offers are delayed? At this point it seems like it could totally mess up the timeline this cycle. Am I wrong? (Yes, I have a senior applying, and am waiting anxiously for the form to come out).

I think the biggest income will be on the lower-middle class. Poor kids will get lots of aid, even if the offer comes in late. Wealthy kids won't get any, but their families already know that. We're a family for whom this stupid form could actually make a difference in my kids' decisions.

How so?

[Anonymous]

News
https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2024/01/01/new-fafsa-launches-after-a-long-delay-but-with-issues.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I was a betting person - I would guess they are going to kick it to the Tuesday after MLK day.
I have worked in launching tools and if it is not up now - they have some bugs that are concerns. These are not things that typically are fixed in an hour at this point in time in the development of a new solution.

Agreed, but they should have announced something. It is a lie to say that there is a soft launch when the button to launch the form hasn't been clickable for the last 13 hours. It is waiting everyone's time and ratcheting up anxiety. The Secretary of Ed needs to post something.

Congress required the form to be available before 1/1/2024. The Soft Launch appears to be an agency effort to be able to say that they complied with the deadline, barely. It was available, briefly, and then closed. I suspect nobody has successfully submitted it.

None of the information will be transmitted to schools before the end of January anyway. (Many schools have stated this clearly on their websites and in admission portals). So, in a sense, there's no rush. The whole thing is, of course, a debacle, and sadly, it pushes back admissions decisions because aid packages won't be released until March or April. I suspect the May 1 drop dead date for college selection will remain. What this might do is really hurt kids on wait lists who are hoping spots open up at schools and will have to wait, perhaps into May and June before they really know.

Wait lists are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Early Action has become the preferred application method and schools can easily fill their classes long before the May 1 deadline. But it also means that there's less room on wait lists since schools can use regular admission to fill their classes and avoid the wait lists altogether.

Unfortunately, schools that offer merit scholarships are now pushing back their announcement of those until later in the spring (because they package it with federal aid as well and they don't have the FAFSA information).

It kind of goes without saying, but the Federal Government isn't built to "solve problems" and "operate efficiently." In fact, quite the opposite, by design. Unfortunately, we've delegated the affordability of a college education to the Federal Government....probably not the best move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I was a betting person - I would guess they are going to kick it to the Tuesday after MLK day.
I have worked in launching tools and if it is not up now - they have some bugs that are concerns. These are not things that typically are fixed in an hour at this point in time in the development of a new solution.

Agreed, but they should have announced something. It is a lie to say that there is a soft launch when the button to launch the form hasn't been clickable for the last 13 hours. It is waiting everyone's time and ratcheting up anxiety. The Secretary of Ed needs to post something.

Congress required the form to be available before 1/1/2024. The Soft Launch appears to be an agency effort to be able to say that they complied with the deadline, barely. It was available, briefly, and then closed. I suspect nobody has successfully submitted it.

None of the information will be transmitted to schools before the end of January anyway. (Many schools have stated this clearly on their websites and in admission portals). So, in a sense, there's no rush. The whole thing is, of course, a debacle, and sadly, it pushes back admissions decisions because aid packages won't be released until March or April. I suspect the May 1 drop dead date for college selection will remain. What this might do is really hurt kids on wait lists who are hoping spots open up at schools and will have to wait, perhaps into May and June before they really know.

Wait lists are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Early Action has become the preferred application method and schools can easily fill their classes long before the May 1 deadline. But it also means that there's less room on wait lists since schools can use regular admission to fill their classes and avoid the wait lists altogether.

Unfortunately, schools that offer merit scholarships are now pushing back their announcement of those until later in the spring (because they package it with federal aid as well and they don't have the FAFSA information).

It kind of goes without saying, but the Federal Government isn't built to "solve problems" and "operate efficiently." In fact, quite the opposite, by design. Unfortunately, we've delegated the affordability of a college education to the Federal Government....probably not the best move.

So who should handle affordability of a college education?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I was a betting person - I would guess they are going to kick it to the Tuesday after MLK day.
I have worked in launching tools and if it is not up now - they have some bugs that are concerns. These are not things that typically are fixed in an hour at this point in time in the development of a new solution.

Agreed, but they should have announced something. It is a lie to say that there is a soft launch when the button to launch the form hasn't been clickable for the last 13 hours. It is waiting everyone's time and ratcheting up anxiety. The Secretary of Ed needs to post something.

Congress required the form to be available before 1/1/2024. The Soft Launch appears to be an agency effort to be able to say that they complied with the deadline, barely. It was available, briefly, and then closed. I suspect nobody has successfully submitted it.

None of the information will be transmitted to schools before the end of January anyway. (Many schools have stated this clearly on their websites and in admission portals). So, in a sense, there's no rush. The whole thing is, of course, a debacle, and sadly, it pushes back admissions decisions because aid packages won't be released until March or April. I suspect the May 1 drop dead date for college selection will remain. What this might do is really hurt kids on wait lists who are hoping spots open up at schools and will have to wait, perhaps into May and June before they really know.

Wait lists are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Early Action has become the preferred application method and schools can easily fill their classes long before the May 1 deadline. But it also means that there's less room on wait lists since schools can use regular admission to fill their classes and avoid the wait lists altogether.

Unfortunately, schools that offer merit scholarships are now pushing back their announcement of those until later in the spring (because they package it with federal aid as well and they don't have the FAFSA information).

It kind of goes without saying, but the Federal Government isn't built to "solve problems" and "operate efficiently." In fact, quite the opposite, by design. Unfortunately, we've delegated the affordability of a college education to the Federal Government....probably not the best move.

So who should handle affordability of a college education?

Not the federal government! Obviously. This is why Carter’s idea of a dept of education was stupid. Ask any conservative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I was a betting person - I would guess they are going to kick it to the Tuesday after MLK day.
I have worked in launching tools and if it is not up now - they have some bugs that are concerns. These are not things that typically are fixed in an hour at this point in time in the development of a new solution.

Agreed, but they should have announced something. It is a lie to say that there is a soft launch when the button to launch the form hasn't been clickable for the last 13 hours. It is waiting everyone's time and ratcheting up anxiety. The Secretary of Ed needs to post something.

Congress required the form to be available before 1/1/2024. The Soft Launch appears to be an agency effort to be able to say that they complied with the deadline, barely. It was available, briefly, and then closed. I suspect nobody has successfully submitted it.

None of the information will be transmitted to schools before the end of January anyway. (Many schools have stated this clearly on their websites and in admission portals). So, in a sense, there's no rush. The whole thing is, of course, a debacle, and sadly, it pushes back admissions decisions because aid packages won't be released until March or April. I suspect the May 1 drop dead date for college selection will remain. What this might do is really hurt kids on wait lists who are hoping spots open up at schools and will have to wait, perhaps into May and June before they really know.

Wait lists are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Early Action has become the preferred application method and schools can easily fill their classes long before the May 1 deadline. But it also means that there's less room on wait lists since schools can use regular admission to fill their classes and avoid the wait lists altogether.

Unfortunately, schools that offer merit scholarships are now pushing back their announcement of those until later in the spring (because they package it with federal aid as well and they don't have the FAFSA information).

It kind of goes without saying, but the Federal Government isn't built to "solve problems" and "operate efficiently." In fact, quite the opposite, by design. Unfortunately, we've delegated the affordability of a college education to the Federal Government....probably not the best move.

So who should handle affordability of a college education?

Not the federal government! Obviously. This is why Carter’s idea of a dept of education was stupid. Ask any conservative.

The question was should, not who shouldn't - so who should handle it?

[Anonymous]

Has anyone been able to actually access it yet?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone been able to actually access it yet?

Apparently. Though not entirely successfully.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/01/your-money/college-student-aid-fafsa.html?searchResultPosition=1

[Anonymous]

Soft launch = putting up a banner page that gives the impression that it has working links, but doesn’t .