The United States Department of Education sent out hundreds of thousands of student financial aid assessments to colleges in recent weeks that have since been found to be inaccurate, the department shared last week.
An estimated 200,000 students had the amount of money they could afford to pay for college miscalculated, which potentially gave more financial aid to students who had more money.
In a press release, the department shared that the issue was a result of an outside vendor and it has since been resolved, though it will delay financial aid offers to college and high school students.
The problem comes as the Biden administration works to roll out the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid, a college financial aid form used by millions of students every year.
There have been efforts to streamline the form, but several setbacks have delayed aid for thousands of students and created strife between colleges and federal officials that help them dole out financial aid.
The Department of Education did not immediately share which vendor was to blame for the issues. However, General Dynamics Information Technology, which signed a multi-million dollar contract in 2022 to help with the new form, has been a sore subject for the department in recent months.
According to a report from USA Today, some officials that oversee FAFSA have quietly griped that the vendor is not being blamed enough for the glitches that have come up, though numerous subcontractors and vendors work on large projects like this.
No matter who is to blame, the problems have created a headache for students, colleges, and parents who are being left waiting as schools work to secure the correct financial information.
Justin Draeger, the president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, shared in a statement that colleges and universities have to have the correct data before they can move forward.
“This is another unforced error that will likely cause more processing delays for students,” Draeger said. “At this stage in the game and after so many delays, every error adds up and will be felt acutely by every student who is counting on need-based financial aid to make their postsecondary dreams a reality.”