Media Advisory: Cassidy, Colleagues to Hold Press Conference on Biden Admin’s Botched FAFSA Rollout
WASHINGTON – On Thursday, February 1st, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, along with U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS) will hold a press conference to discuss, and make two announcements related to the Biden administration’s failure to properly implement the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) program. These delays prevent students and families from accessing crucial financial aid information as they choose the college they can afford to attend.
The Department of Education’s (DeptEd) delays in implementing FAFSA forced high school counselors to postpone financial aid information sessions and counselors are now rushing to connect with students and families to help them navigate through the new FAFSA process. Additionally, these setbacks mean colleges cannot provide students with financial aid offers.
Today, the Biden administration announced that it will delay the transmission of FAFSA information to colleges and universities until mid-March. Given that the transmission of FAFSA information to schools was supposed to begin by late January, these further delays create the real likelihood that many students will forgo college because they cannot choose a school without knowing their eligibility for student aid.
Recently, Cassidy, Capito, Ernst, Marshall, and 24 Republican lawmakers submitted a bicameral request to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) for a formal investigation into DeptEd’s incompetent mishandling of FAFSA and the full impact on students and families.
Date: Thursday, February 1st, 2024
Time: 12:00 PM ET/ 11:00 AM CT
Location: Senate Radio-Television Gallery (S-325)
Click here to watch live.
If attending in-person or virtually, please RSVP to Stephen Lewerenz at Stephen_Lewerenz@help.senate.gov
For all news and updates from HELP Republicans, visit our website or Twitter at @GOPHELP.
