The application used by prospective students to access federal financial aid for higher education will be implemented in stages this year, the Department of Education stated Wednesday, in an effort to avoid the chaotic and confusing experience students encountered with a redesigned version of the form released last year.

During the 2024-2025 academic year, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or the FAFSA form, encountered numerous difficulties as the Department of Education endeavored to completely revamp and enhance it for the first time in four decades. The modernization was undertaken in compliance with a bipartisan directive from Congress to simplify the FAFSA -- which provides financial aid packages to incoming college students -- and render it more user-friendly for students and their families.

The objective was to make it possible for all eligible students to apply for financial aid, rather than deter them with a complicated application and leave potential college funding unused, a frequent occurrence.

The updated FAFSA form has been streamlined to include the least number of questions possible, according to officials involved in the redesign. It automatically uses information already collected by the IRS to fill in family income details. The form can be completed in as little as 10 minutes with just 18 questions, while more complex financial situations require around 50 questions and may take up to an hour.

Officials have stated that they anticipate enhancements to the form's ease of use, along with modifications to the eligibility criteria to enable more students to receive financial assistance, will ultimately lead to the distribution of 610,000 additional Pell grants to students from low-income families. Pell grants are provided to students with limited financial resources and do not require repayment, unlike loans.

However, the introduction of the form was marred by persistent technical issues and postponements . Efforts to streamline the process instead resulted in uncertainty and, occasionally, a decrease in the number of students seeking financial assistance. In March, there was a 40% disparity in student applications compared to the previous year, although this gap has since shrunk to 4%, according to the Department of Education.

On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona stated that the agency is dedicated to enhancing the application process for the next academic year. The Department of Education has conducted meetings to gather feedback and will strive to launch a fully operational application by December 1st, 2024, for the 2025-2026 school year. The application will initially be available to select groups in limited quantities starting in October.

The start of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application period on December 1st is later than in previous years. Ideally, the application window would begin on October 1st, allowing schools adequate time to process FAFSA forms, compile financial aid packages, and enable students and families to make informed financial decisions. However, proponents argue that a phased implementation culminating in a December 1st deadline is still an improvement over last year, as it ensures that the FAFSA form released in December is fully functional.

"We listened, we learned, and we're taking action," Cardona stated in a press briefing on Wednesday.

Cardona acknowledged the need for a more "user-friendly" FAFSA and indicated that the department has extensively consulted with stakeholders over the past 10 months to enhance the experience for everyone involved, including students, parents, college advisors, and universities.

"Transformation is challenging," Cardona stated. "However, it's worthwhile, and we'll accomplish it."

Observers who have been closely monitoring this process over the past year expressed cautious optimism about the upcoming school year's smoothness.

"The ongoing challenges we face with the aftermath of this year's FAFSA launch highlight the critical need for comprehensive end-to-end testing before any system implementation. It's imperative that we treat such a process as a cohesive whole, not as a series of disconnected parts," stated Beth Maglione, interim president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

"Ideally, we would launch a fully functional and thoroughly tested FAFSA on October 1. However, given the current stage of development and the challenges encountered during this year's rollout, we believe it is prudent to postpone the launch until December 1 to allow sufficient time for necessary testing and ensure a seamless system when ED introduces the 2025-26 FAFSA," she explained.