House holds hearing on FAFSA issues [Video]

The botched launch of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA), which has disrupted college admissions deadlines and shaken confidence in the Education Department, came under scrutiny Wednesday on Capitol Hill.

The House higher education subcommittee is examining how the FAFSA rollout, plagued by a series of delays and technical glitches, is impacting students, families and institutions. You can watch its hearing below, and scroll down for our live analysis as it happened.

This hearing will likely be the first of several on the topic as lawmakers, particularly Republicans, have grown increasingly frustratedwith the Biden administration’s handling of the new FAFSA. Congress ordered the department to simplify the form, which unlocks billions in federal, state and institutional aid for millions of students annually, in December 2020. Some lawmakers have said that the Biden administration put its own priorities, such as student debt relief, over the legislative mandate. The Government Accountability Office is currently …