Fixing FAFSA—Lessons From the Rollout

In this episode of dotEDU, Sarah Spreitzer and Mushtaq Gunja give an update on the unprecedented workforce cuts at the Department of Education and share their concerns about the immediate and long-term implications for higher education.  

After that, the hosts take a look back at the troubled rollout of the new FAFSA system. Jeremy Singer, president of the College Board, talks about his time at the Department of Education last year leading the FAFSA relaunch effort at Federal Student Aid. He shares firsthand insights into what went wrong, the challenges of managing a large-scale federal program, and the lessons learned from the rollout. 

Send suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation on X or Bluesky or email [e-mail].

Here are some of the links and references from this week’s episode:

Education Department Lays Off Nearly Half of Staff
Inside Higher Ed | March 11, 2025

Department of Education Investigating 60 Colleges and Universities Over Antisemitism Claims
CNN | March 11, 2025

Restoring Public Service Loan Forgiveness
The White House | March 7, 2025 

White House Cancels $400 Million in Grants and Contracts to Columbia
The New York Times (sub. req.) | March 7, 2025 

Johns Hopkins Plans Staff Layoffs After $800 Million Grant Cuts
The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) | March 11, 2025

USDA Halts Millions in Funding for University of Maine System
Portland Press Herald (sub. req.) | March 11, 2025

What Is the FAFSA Simplification Act?
Federal Student Aid

FAFSA Is Officially Out, and Everyone Is Cautiously Optimistic
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | Nov. 21, 2024

Flawed FAFSA Rollout Leads to 11.6% Drop In Students Filling Out the College Financial Aid Form
Chalkbeat Colorado | July 8, 2024

New Clearinghouse Data Shows Freshman Enrollment Has, in Fact, Increased
Diverse: Issues In Higher Education | Jan. 23, 2025