Fewer students applied for FAFSA – ABC Columbia

(CNN)– Fewer low-income students applied for college financial aid after the botched rollout of an updated version of the free application for federal student aid, known as FAFSA.

Students have to submit the form to access federal pell grants, student loans, and other kinds of financial aid.

The rollout was plagued by delays, numerous technical glitches, and administrative mistakes.

According to Congress’s Nonpartisan Government Accountability Office, FAFSA submissions for the current school year were down 3% compared with the year before.

But the Department of Education said FAFSA applications were down 2% compared to last year.