Here’s how three colleges handled the FAFSA confusion

Troubles with the rollout of “Better FAFSA,” the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), threatened to become another barrier to difficult access to colleges in the country. Facing months of delays and technical glitches, many feared that these modernization efforts would inadvertently widen the gap between students who had the resources to overcome historically bureaucratic obstacles and those who did not.

But in this moment of systemic challenge, we have also witnessed something extraordinary: communities most impacted by educational inequity demonstrating extraordinary resilience and innovation, potentially creating blueprints for a more equitable future. A future where college access and financial aid notifications are tailored and tailored to the needs of students and local communities.

From Colorado to Pennsylvania to North Carolina, some college and university leaders have taken the challenges of FAFSA implementation as their own “call to action” – an opportunity to rethink how they leverage resources, reach students and families, and create systems and processes that you cannot rely on the federal government’s timeliness or accuracy. The following case studies are even more relevant in the context of the National Students’ Information Chamber published preliminary data on the state of recruitment to post-secondary schools.

While overall undergraduate and graduate admissions are increasing (+3% and +2.1%, respectively) across all institution types, first-year college admissions are down 5% compared to this time last year, which is first decline since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. Some indicate a disastrous implementation Better FAFSA as a potential cause of decline in admissions. Faulty implementation of the form resulted in mass reduction according to the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) and left the most vulnerable student groups with more questions than answers about college options.

While the decline in freshman enrollment is concerning, there are silver linings in some campuses’ response.

Colorado Mesa University

Colorado Mesa University (CMU) launched “The wait is over” an initiative to address FAFSA processing delays by creating an early award process for financial aid packages (disclosure: I am a trustee at Colorado Mesa University and chaired the board for 2021-2024). Using the new financial aid calculator, CMU was able to do just that estimate the financial aid awarded for students based on family income, offering them a clear and reliable financial aid forecast before federal aid amounts are finalized. The initiative was aimed primarily at CMU’s prospective first-generation and low-income students, for whom financial planning is often crucial when deciding whether to pursue higher education.

In January 2024, President John Marshall and his leadership team obtained approval from the Board of Trustees to invest cash reserves in this initiative.

“Our trustees asked us if we could calculate how much financial aid we believe each student qualifies for so they can make an informed decision about college,” Marshall said. “We knew that if we miscalculated, we would still keep our promise. Despite the risk of potential miscalculations, we have tried to guarantee our initial offers, knowing that the majority of our students are first generation and low-income. We kept our promise to a generation of students in our region, and that made a difference.”

CMU management did not miscalculate. In fact, CMU lost just $280,000 of its original $2 million allocation – much less than anticipated and perhaps one of the best investments the university could have made in such a tumultuous year. New student registration has ended by 35% this fall, representing the largest number of first-year students in the history of this regional public university.

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) is a public Historically Black College and University (HBCU) located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The institution was founded in 1891 as a teacher training school focused on training black teachers in North Carolina public schools. Thanks to the North Carolina Promise, students can attend ECSU for tuition as low as $500 per semester for North Carolinians.

It was clear that FAFSA implementation created challenges for students and campus leaders he leaned over their collective superpower: relationships with students and families and strong communication strategies.

“We understand the power of communication. We know that current and prospective ECSU students need support to understand the financial aid process because most students do not realize how much aid is available to them through federal, state, institutional and third-party scholarships,” said Karen Lucas, deputy Deputy Chancellor for recruitment management. “We have hosted financial aid events on campus, financial aid nights at high schools in our area, and private meetings to support students and families.”

The university also began talking more about academic programs in which students excel in gaining real-world experience such as aviation, business administration and computer science. Advisors spoke directly to students about degree programs that would lead to a greater return on investment as they supported them in completing the FAFSA.

“We are seeing a shift in attitudes about higher education and its values,” Lucas said. “Much of ECSU’s recruiting success is due to majors that provide a strong return on investment. We are confident that the new FAFSA – and its long-term changes – will enable more first-generation and low-income students to access these programs.

Lebanon Valley College

Nestled among farmland and a few hours from major cities including Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., sits Lebanon Valley College, a private liberal arts college. Even though the university enrolls fewer than 2,000 students, it has not been immune to challenges related to the complications associated with implementing the Better FAFSA. LVC worked with a consultant to develop a campus-specific form where families could self-report financial aid information.

“Most of our students do not have extremely complex financial information,” said Dr. James Maclaren, president of Lebanon Valley College. “We were able to use their data to offer a range of financial aid awards that, in many cases, were very close to what the student would ultimately qualify for if they had completed the FAFSA.

While LVC may be lumped in with other Northeastern higher education institutions, its focus on professional credentials and direct admissions policies to undergraduate and graduate programs sets this institution apart from others in the region. For example, in fields including speech therapy, physical therapy, sports training and clinical mental health, first-year students can tailor their bachelor’s studies to the requirements of advanced degrees in these fields, enabling them to gain professional qualifications in a shorter time than if they attended two different institutions .

“We have found that many of our students want to integrate their undergraduate curriculum with their graduate aspirations. If we could help them understand the entirety of their financial obligations within a few thousand dollars through our new financial awards process, we could help them make decisions about pursuing higher education more quickly,” MacLaren said.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) began beta testing the functionality of the 2025-2026 FAFSA form on October 1. The beta testing will consist of four phases, each lasting approximately four weeks, and will involve a limited number of students and community organizations submitting real FAFSA forms for ED to process and forward to colleges and state agencies. The FAFSA is expected to be available to all students on December 1, 2024.

“Ensuring financially underserved students have the opportunity to pursue their higher education aspirations should be a policy priority,” said Annie Reznik, chief of staff at the Partnership for Education Advancement, a nonprofit that provides scalable, sustainable operations: and technology solutions for HBCUs. “Reducing process barriers can significantly improve families’ access to affordable opportunities. For mission-driven colleges and universities like HBCUs that prioritize serving students in need of financial support, providing more assistance with fewer barriers would be a victory.”

These success stories aren’t just about keeping up the numbers – they represent a fundamental shift in the way campuses approach college access and support for current and potential students. When systems fail, local innovations often emerge to better serve historically marginalized students. The question now is whether we can learn from these bottom-up solutions to build more equitable pathways to higher education, even after the current crisis subsides.