The Most Confusing, Chaotic College Admissions Season in Years - WSJ (gift link)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The number of low income students going to college dropped during covid and is now dropping again because of the FAFSA f**-up. This is going to lead to more income inequality. But on dcum, everyone is yelling about the unfair advantage first gen and poor students get and plotting how they can look like they are first gen.

The whole thing is sad and gross.

Agree. And thats why there are no comments on this thread.

People tend to support liberal policies more when it doesn’t affect them. They turn MAGA when their kid may not get a spot at UVA or public school boundary changes are proposed.

That’s the motto of the libs - they’re all for whatever doesn’t affect them. Equity in schools - they’re totes on board until there is talk of moving low income kids into their kids school. Then hells no - we paid a real estate premium to live here - keep them poors where they belong!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And my 2025 HS grad will have fewer opportunities as a result, as kids graduating in 2024 will defer.

This hasn’t been discussed enough. I see many deferrals/waitlisted with Fall 2025 options. It would be very interesting to see next year for haves (top schools) and have nots (less selective and regionals).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: The department of education was too busy trying to figure out how to forgive student loans so FAFSA suffered..the same company responsible for healthcare.gov in the Obama years is responsible for new and improved FAFSA.

Gotta love the democrats.

what has Rs done for healthcare or college costs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And my 2025 HS grad will have fewer opportunities as a result, as kids graduating in 2024 will defer.

I doubt that. Kids that need the $$$s can’t defer. Only full pay kids (or kids accepted to top schools that don’t care about FAFSA and have already given need awards) can defer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: The department of education was too busy trying to figure out how to forgive student loans so FAFSA suffered..the same company responsible for healthcare.gov in the Obama years is responsible for new and improved FAFSA.

Gotta love the democrats.

Funny how I’m still paying my student loans while waiting for my child’s fafsa to process. So wish you were right.

PP said "trying to figure out"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The number of low income students going to college dropped during covid and is now dropping again because of the FAFSA f**-up. This is going to lead to more income inequality. But on dcum, everyone is yelling about the unfair advantage first gen and poor students get and plotting how they can look like they are first gen.

The whole thing is sad and gross.

+1

Zero-sum madness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And my 2025 HS grad will have fewer opportunities as a result, as kids graduating in 2024 will defer.

I doubt that. Kids that need the $$$s can’t defer. Only full pay kids (or kids accepted to top schools that don’t care about FAFSA and have already given need awards) can defer.

I agree. I don't see a lot of deferrals. The kids will still go to school, even if it's not the super expensive one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: The department of education was too busy trying to figure out how to forgive student loans so FAFSA suffered..the same company responsible for healthcare.gov in the Obama years is responsible for new and improved FAFSA.

Gotta love the democrats.

From the article (emphasis mine):
“Bipartisan efforts to streamline the Fafsa process have stretched back more than a decade, and a revamp was approved by Congress in 2020.”

Nothing to do with student loan forgiveness. But as usual, don’t let facts get in the way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And my 2025 HS grad will have fewer opportunities as a result, as kids graduating in 2024 will defer.

I doubt that. Kids that need the $$$s can’t defer. Only full pay kids (or kids accepted to top schools that don’t care about FAFSA and have already given need awards) can defer.

Idk. I know tons of kids deferring this year, who are different income levels. Way more than 2 years ago w oldest kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: :shock: The department of education was too busy trying to figure out how to forgive student loans so FAFSA suffered..the same company responsible for healthcare.gov in the Obama years is responsible for new and improved FAFSA. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Gotta love the democrats.

Take your meds grandma

DP. The PP is absolutely correct. And your lame response shows you have no intelligent rebuttal.

Except that it was General Dynamics, a PRIVATE company, that built the new FAFSA platform. Neither democrats nor republicans had any direct influence over that, other than bureaucrats setting the specs. Tribalism is counterproductive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And my 2025 HS grad will have fewer opportunities as a result, as kids graduating in 2024 will defer.

I doubt that. Kids that need the $$$s can’t defer. Only full pay kids (or kids accepted to top schools that don’t care about FAFSA and have already given need awards) can defer.

Idk. I know tons of kids deferring this year, who are different income levels. Way more than 2 years ago w oldest kid.

Huh? Meaning they have been accepted somewhere and taking a GAP year? These are kids that need to wait for FAFSA for financial awards?

I will admit that I don't know the ins-and-outs of financial aid and merit tied to FAFSA, but I thought you lose all that if you defer. Again, if you are accepted to say Princeton and have been given tons of $$$s that is different...they will let anyone take a GAP year.

[Anonymous]

I feel bad for my kids and everyone applying next year. It's gotten so complicated with the end of TO, new messy digital testing, FAFSA changes...can't they just let those kids have some predictability?

[Anonymous]

I can't say I'm loosing sleep over fewer lower income students going to college. Those turning away from colleges are those who never really needed to go to college in the first place, racking up loans just to be a store manager afterwards struggling to pay back the loans. These aren't the kids who'd have used college to genuinely leap ahead economically, but spending a few years getting lost at a regional state school before dropping out and still ending up an assistant store manager.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another thread immediately overrun by MAGA trolls.

Well, the WSJ is really taking an extra hard angle on this because of their political bias, I'm sure. Yeah, fafsa is a mess. But, the whole "most chaotic " is such hype. Some schools based aid on CSS and are fine, others are extending acceptance deadlines. I don't think this is the deal breaker or "chaos" WSJ and some politically motivated people want it to be.

Absolutely! My very average DS has had tremendous success this year with college apps. 86% acceptance rate. Not sure if the SC decision had any positive impact (unlikely) but the trend towards "test-required but we'll pretend to be test-optional" definitely did.

Also, the FAFSA numbers would be higher if that darn system worked. However, nothing prevents the government from just using CSS numbers, asking students to now submit CSS profile with 3 free submissions to get over this hump.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: The department of education was too busy trying to figure out how to forgive student loans so FAFSA suffered..the same company responsible for healthcare.gov in the Obama years is responsible for new and improved FAFSA.

Gotta love the democrats.

From the article (emphasis mine):
“Bipartisan efforts to streamline the Fafsa process have stretched back more than a decade, and a revamp was approved by Congress in 2020.”

Nothing to do with student loan forgiveness. But as usual, don’t let facts get in the way.

That's laughable. I've used the old FAFSA and also submitted the new. Don't see much of a difference with 'process'. A few changes that would make a difference - consolidate CSS and FAFSA into one free app; don't require balances on the day of creation but specify a certain date, say Sept 30 so everyone has account statements as backup if necessary;