Completing FAFSA is necessary to determine if a student qualifies for state and federal financial aid with $400 million in state aid available to students. Photo from Adobe Stock.

By Joe Ulery
Indiana News Service

INDIANA — Indiana’s high school seniors are caught in a bureaucratic snarl as glitches in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid rollout hinder aid processing.

This year, seniors must complete FAFSA or opt-out by April 15 to graduate, coinciding with Indiana’s state aid priority deadline. Delays in the form’s availability until January exacerbated confusion, leaving many families unsure of their financial aid eligibility.

Bill Wozniak, vice president for communications and student services at INvestEd, is reassuring students and families and emphasizing the collective effort to navigate the chaos.

“Families are getting nervous about their FAFSA, nervous about college deadlines, nervous about deadlines for financial aid, and so these different things are having people and the colleges on edge as they try to get things set for the upcoming year,” he explained.

Wozniak said despite setbacks, resources such as INvestED aim to support Hoosiers in accessing Indiana’s education fund, ensuring that no student is left behind in the pursuit of higher education.

This year’s problems are not any one family’s fault and have no doubt been frustrating for everyone involved.

“Other families across the country and here in Indiana and the colleges are aware of what’s going on. If families and students are able to get ahold of us – no matter where they are in the glitches or where they are in the process – we will be able to get them across the finish line,” he said.

Colleges and universities rely on the FAFSA to determine financial aid packages for students. Many schools are juggling the setbacks and delays when assessing what aid is available – forcing some universities to push out application deadlines.