Bill Cassidy - Ranking Member of the Senate HELP Committee | Official U.S. Senate headshot
Bill Cassidy - Ranking Member of the Senate HELP Committee | Official U.S. Senate headshot
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy has expressed his satisfaction following the enactment of his legislation mandating that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) be made available on October 1 each year. This legislation was signed into law today.
Senator Cassidy criticized delays by the Biden-Harris administration, stating, "The Biden-Harris FAFSA delays forced students to choose their college without knowing their financial aid status, or not attend college at all because they didn’t know if they could afford it. Students should not have to suffer because of bureaucratic incompetence."
As he prepares to take on the role of chair for the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Cassidy pledged collaboration with President Trump to rectify issues within FAFSA. He stated, "I will work hand-in-hand with President Trump to dig FAFSA out of the hole the Biden-Harris administration put it in and ensure it works as intended. Students and families depend on it."
The Department of Education under the Biden-Harris administration missed key deadlines in 2023 for releasing FAFSA forms. Consequently, students were unable to access these forms until months after the typical October 1 release date. This delay led to a significant number of students—432,000—failing to complete their applications last year.
In August, further announcements from the Department indicated that this year's form would also be delayed until December instead of its usual October release.
Criticism was directed towards what some perceive as prioritization by the current administration of student loan policies over timely implementation of FAFSA procedures.
For more information from HELP Republicans or updates regarding this issue, visit their website or follow them on Twitter at @GOPHELP.
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