The Education Department is trying to make up for lost time after applications for federal financial aid plunged this year, with millions of students navigating delays and glitches caused by the disastrous rollout of the new application form.
James Kvaal, the under secretary of education, told reporters on Tuesday that the department had fixed many of the problems with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA. That includes a major glitch that affected students who could not provide a Social Security number.
But Mr. Kvaal said that, by its latest count, the department had received just over 8.4 million submissions so far this year far fewer than the roughly 17 million it processes in normal years. According to the departments website, the deadline to apply is June 30.
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