Insiders Reflect on the Scramble to Fix the FAFSA

After the bungled launch of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid last year, officials at the U.S. Education Department knew they had to do things differently for the next financial aid cycle. One of the first moves they made was to bring in outside help. The Office of Federal Student Aid, which oversees the FAFSA, hired two senior leaders at the nonprofit College Board to head up the 2024–25 rollout: Longtime College Board president Jeremy Singer took on the role of new “FAFSA czar,” and chief information officer Jeff Olson was hired to help run the technical side. This year’s FAFSA, which launched in late November, has been decidedly better received, and completion rates so far are on par with previous years.