How staffing cuts and glitches are delaying FAFSA processing for students
CBS Evening News
[{'start': '1.280', 'end': '6.319', 'text': 'Today is National College Decision Day,'}, {'start': '4.160', 'end': '8.160', 'text': 'the deadline for when most collegebound'}, {'start': '6.319', 'end': '10.320', 'text': 'students have to declare which school'}, {'start': '8.160', 'end': '12.719', 'text': "they'll be attending in the fall. In"}, {'start': '10.320', 'end': '15.120', 'text': "tonight's Inepth, Tom Hansen reports,"}, {'start': '12.719', 'end': '17.960', 'text': 'those decisions are being complicated by'}, {'start': '15.120', 'end': '21.199', 'text': 'delays in federal financial'}, {'start': '17.960', 'end': '23.039', 'text': 'aid. Oscar Garcia is just weeks away'}, {'start': '21.199', 'end': '25.039', 'text': 'from taking his last steps as a high'}, {'start': '23.039', 'end': '27.119', 'text': 'school senior and his first steps toward'}, {'start': '25.039', 'end': '29.439', 'text': 'a college degree. We met him in his'}, {'start': '27.119', 'end': '31.760', 'text': 'neighborhood in South Los Angeles. What'}, {'start': '29.439', 'end': '33.440', 'text': 'does college mean to you? It means'}, {'start': '31.760', 'end': '35.920', 'text': 'having an opportunity to get out of'}, {'start': '33.440', 'end': '37.520', 'text': 'here. An opportunity only made possible'}, {'start': '35.920', 'end': '40.320', 'text': 'through the online application for'}, {'start': '37.520', 'end': '42.600', 'text': 'federal student aid known as FAFSA.'}, {'start': '40.320', 'end': '45.040', 'text': "What's FAFSA"}, {'start': '42.600', 'end': '46.719', 'text': 'like? FAFSA, man, they have a lot of'}, {'start': '45.040', 'end': '50.239', 'text': 'issues. It always gave me like some'}, {'start': '46.719', 'end': '52.399', 'text': 'errors or something. Yeah, it was just'}, {'start': '50.239', 'end': '53.920', 'text': 'really tedious. After a botched roll out'}, {'start': '52.399', 'end': '56.079', 'text': "of last year's application under the"}, {'start': '53.920', 'end': '57.600', 'text': 'Biden administration, FAFSA was delayed'}, {'start': '56.079', 'end': '59.440', 'text': 'again this year with students'}, {'start': '57.600', 'end': '61.920', 'text': 'encountering error messages and glitches'}, {'start': '59.440', 'end': '64.080', 'text': 'on the site. Then came the unprecedented'}, {'start': '61.920', 'end': '66.240', 'text': 'cuts to the Department of Education.'}, {'start': '64.080', 'end': '68.720', 'text': 'Nearly half impacting the Office of'}, {'start': '66.240', 'end': '73.600', 'text': 'Federal Student Aid. How many times did'}, {'start': '68.720', 'end': '75.680', 'text': 'you try to call people at FAFSA to'}, {'start': '73.600', 'end': '76.880', 'text': 'resolve these issues? More times than I'}, {'start': '75.680', 'end': '79.600', 'text': 'can count. At some point, I just wanted'}, {'start': '76.880', 'end': '82.240', 'text': 'to stop. As deputy director of SoCal'}, {'start': '79.600', 'end': '84.799', 'text': 'CAN, Lena Marin helps lowincome students'}, {'start': '82.240', 'end': '88.400', 'text': 'navigate the FAFSA system. The process'}, {'start': '84.799', 'end': '90.960', 'text': 'is really grueling. It is genuinely like'}, {'start': '88.400', 'end': '93.119', 'text': 'filing taxes and being audited at the'}, {'start': '90.960', 'end': '96.640', 'text': "same time. She's seen college dreams"}, {'start': '93.119', 'end': '98.400', 'text': 'left on hold as only 58% of eligible'}, {'start': '96.640', 'end': '100.240', 'text': 'California high school seniors'}, {'start': '98.400', 'end': '102.159', 'text': 'successfully submitted FAFSA'}, {'start': '100.240', 'end': '105.280', 'text': 'applications. It is difficult to see'}, {'start': '102.159', 'end': '108.320', 'text': 'what is efficient about cutting the'}, {'start': '105.280', 'end': '110.399', 'text': 'working capacity of any department that'}, {'start': '108.320', 'end': '112.799', 'text': 'was already understaffed. College'}, {'start': '110.399', 'end': '115.520', 'text': 'juniors Stephanie Harmo and Joseé Pablo'}, {'start': '112.799', 'end': '118.079', 'text': "Corona say they don't have safety nets."}, {'start': '115.520', 'end': '120.640', 'text': 'They have FAFSA. I worried that without'}, {'start': '118.079', 'end': '123.600', 'text': "that help I won't be able to continue my"}, {'start': '120.640', 'end': '125.000', 'text': "education. So I'm pretty worried. For me"}, {'start': '123.600', 'end': '128.239', 'text': 'financial aid'}, {'start': '125.000', 'end': '129.599', 'text': "is hope. It's a stepping stone to"}, {'start': '128.239', 'end': '130.800', 'text': "reaching a potential future that I've"}, {'start': '129.599', 'end': '133.120', 'text': 'been looking forward to. do my whole'}, {'start': '130.800', 'end': '135.040', 'text': "life. Now they're concerned if they'll"}, {'start': '133.120', 'end': '137.120', 'text': 'see their financial aid in time to'}, {'start': '135.040', 'end': '139.120', 'text': 'complete college. Everyone chases some'}, {'start': '137.120', 'end': '140.480', 'text': 'sort of American dream. Um no matter'}, {'start': '139.120', 'end': '142.959', 'text': 'what it looks like, some sort of like'}, {'start': '140.480', 'end': '145.360', 'text': 'happiness and stability. And for me,'}, {'start': '142.959', 'end': '148.160', 'text': "that's my education. An American dream"}, {'start': '145.360', 'end': '151.200', 'text': 'that for some students is stuck behind a'}, {'start': '148.160', 'end': '154.080', 'text': 'loading screen. Tom Hansen, CBS News,'}, {'start': '151.200', 'end': '154.080', 'text': 'Los Angeles.'}]