Broward County selected as beta testing site for new FAFSA form
By Lorena Inclán
Students in Broward are getting a head start with their financial aid applications after the county was selected as a testing site for a "new and improved" form.
The new application, not yet widely available, is supposed to help families apply and receive aid quickly. Parents and students filled the auditorium Wednesday at Broward College in Davie for a chance to be the first to apply for aid through the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as FAFSA.
Among them were Venetia Turner and her daughter, Zahra.
"Being able to have financial aid to go to college is really a good step for everybody," Zahra Turner said.
For almost an hour, families got to ask questions as a FAFSA expert gave them a step-by-step tutorial. It’s all part of the beta testing phase before the new FAFSA application is officially rolled out to the rest of the country for the 2026-27 school year.
Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn said the county was selected in part because its students apply for FAFSA at higher rates.
"We know that for many of our families, the only lever they can pull is a quality education and quality post-secondary opportunity, so the FAFSA is so important for our students to be able to take advantage of opportunities beyond high school," he said.
In 2024, FAFSA applications were plagued with errors after an overhaul of the system led to glitches and delays for millions of students. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said those are being addressed.
"We wanna get the bugs out," she said.
But the Department of Education has seen mass layoffs as the Trump administration seeks to dismantle it. Questions emerged on whether there will be enough staff to handle new applications.
"We’re up and ready to run on that, and having some AI help," McMahon said.
Zahra Turner, who's interested in medical school, said the process of applying was "simple and straightforward."
Once the beta testing phase is finished, the Department of Education will roll out the new FAFSA application in the beginning of October.