Sioux City Times

U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra has cast his vote in favor of a bill that mandates the U.S. Department of Education to release the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form by October 1st each year. This is a shift from the current deadline of January 1st.

Rep. Feenstra commented on last year's rollout issues, stating, “Last year, the Biden-Harris administration botched the FAFSA rollout, leaving students and parents uncertain about vital student aid. As a result, the Government Accountability Office determined that about 430,000 fewer students submitted a FAFSA for the 2024-2025 school year. It’s unacceptable and a clear failure of the Biden-Harris administration’s Department of Education.”

He further explained his support for the legislation by saying, “To help resolve this issue, I voted for legislation to require the Department of Education to release the FAFSA form by October 1st every year – not the current January 1st deadline. This fix will ensure that families and students have ample time to figure out their financial circumstances for college and request the support that they need.”

The move aims to provide families with more time to assess their financial situations and apply for necessary student aid.