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uAspire designed this research study to go beyond the headlines and highlight stories and lived experiences from a range of individuals who interacted with FAFSA in spring 2024 – high school and college students, parent contributors, high school counselors, and financial aid administrators (FAAs). Through a mixed methods survey, our geographically diverse sample (n=274) shared nuanced perspectives and strong emotions when asked to reflect on their 24-25 FAFSA experience.

This report describes what we learned, elevating the voices of students, families, and professional staff, and drawing connections across different populations along the way. We present the major findings as a series of “Chutes” (setbacks) and “Ladders” (advances) – similar to the children’s board game. The prime “Chutes” found within the 24-25 FAFSA were the many examples participants shared about technical glitches, rollout and processing delays, and poor communication from the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA). The main “Ladders” included fewer and more straightforward questions, the Direct Data Exchange (DDX) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the help text and video resources offered by FSA.