CLEVELAND — For some college students, financial aid isn’t just helpful, it’s life-changing.
“I come from a single-parent home. So it genuinely means the whole world to me,” Kaitlyn Phillips, a Cleveland State University student, said.
For others, it’s what makes pursuing a degree possible.
“None of my family attended college aside from me and my siblings and FAFSA is what got us through it,” Phillips said.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as FAFSA, is now officially open online. The form allows students to apply for grants, loans and work-study programs to help cover college costs.
But on Wednesday, some students were temporarily unable to log into their accounts, prompting frustration and questions about whether the glitch was connected to the ongoing government shutdown.
Nancy Dunn, director of advising programs and services at College Now Greater Cleveland, says she isn’t sure.
“I know the rollout for the glitch fix seemed to take a little longer than what we wanted. Which that may have been due to the government shutdown but honestly, I don’t know,” Dunn said.
By Wednesday afternoon, the issue appeared to be resolved. Still, Dunn warns technical problems could pop up again, and that’s why she encourages students to apply early.
“I know yesterday I helped a lot of students to the FAFSA and I know my students were able to get through their portion of the FAFSA in 15 minutes or less,” she said.
The hardest part for many? Waiting to see what financial aid they’ll receive.
If you experience issues logging into your FAFSA account, experts suggest waiting 24 hours and trying again. You can also contact the FAFSA help line at 1-800-4-FED-AID.
