There is a gap in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that permits Texas students whose parents are not citizens to apply for financial aid to schools and universities before the March deadline.
Since the most recent iteration of the federal financial assistance application was made accessible online in December, there has been a persistent problem. It would not have been possible for parents without a Social Security number to fill out the form with their financial details.
That has been changed, though. Students can now temporarily complete the financial aid application without a parent’s signature, according to a move announced by the U.S. Department of Education. According to the article, students completing this will receive an email confirming their FAFSA application has been submitted. Before the deadline, they can submit their applications to colleges and universities.
Students who choose this course of action must fill in the blanks once the loophole is closed, which the Department of Education stated would occur no later than March 15. According to the report, pupils’ applications will be denied if they do not have their parents’ signatures; therefore, doing so will be crucial.
Additionally, the Department of Education stated that students might wait to fill out the form until it is formally corrected if they do not have any urgent deadlines. According to reports, college advisors examine students’ circumstances before advising them to wait or complete the form.
According to estimates from Every Texan, a left-wing think tank, 25% of children in Texas have at least one parent who is not a citizen. Furthermore, such parents frequently do not have a Social Security number.
The FAFSA is usually considered the best option for the 1.6 million college students in Texas who wish to apply for government support for their studies in college or university.
The Department of Education had never before addressed a bug and its possible effects on immigrant households until the federal government implemented a temporary workaround. On the other hand, proponents of immigration have claimed that the procedure is unclear.
How many Texas families will take advantage of the short-term loophole is unknown.