KINGSVILLE (February 27, 2024) — Since the federal government’s new streamlined Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application went live on Dec. 31, 2023, there have been reported glitches, and delays that have left some students unable to submit applications and all U.S. colleges and universities with no FAFSA data until a projected mid-March timeline.
Though the hurdles may lead to award letters and college commitments coming later than usual, Texas A&M University Kingsville is lending its resources to any community school or student needing help navigating the new FAFSA process.
Those resources include setting up workshops and answering questions in person, via email or by phone. FAFSA help will be available to all South Texas schools regardless of what university a student plans to attend.
"We are committed to making sure every high school senior in South Texas has the opportunity to complete the FAFSA,” said Dr. Rosalind Alderman, Vice President of Enrollment Management. “However we can help- in person, phone, via Zoom, we will do it! Ensuring good FAFSA completion rates is imperative for optimal enrollment of students in post-secondary educational options."
Of particular importance is Texas Education Code §28.0256, which launched in the 2021-2022 school year and mandates that 12th grade students must do one of the following in order to graduate:
- Complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
- Complete and submit a Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA); or
- Submit a signed opt-out form.
One of the issues contributing to the delay was a fix in late Jan. that was supposed to tie the new financial aid calculation to the latest inflation data.
Other reported problems include:
- Persistent glitches such as involuntary unprompted logouts during the application process;
- School names getting cutoff, leaving confusion for students applying to school systems with multiple campuses and requiring a Federal School Code search;
- Corrections to application cannot be made until March but will NOT change submission time stamp.
Texas A&M-Kingsville is aware of these issues and is prepared to lend assistance where needed.
If you have any questions, TAMUK has partnered with TRELLIS for personalized assistance and can be reached at 1.877.845.9883 from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday – Thursday or 8 a.m. - 5p.m. Friday.
You can also call the Javelina Enrollment Services Center at 361.593.5372 during normal business hours.
To request a workshop, email javelinahelp@tamuk.edu.
-TAMUK-
