CBS News
Glitches with new FAFSA form leave prospective college students in limbo
High school senior Jailyn James of New Jersey is a three-sport athlete with good grades and six college acceptance letters.
James will be the first in her family to attend college. But where she ends up depends on the amount of financial aid she receives from each school — offers she should already have.
“My mom will not let me commit without knowing my financial aid,” James said. “I don’t want to come out of college with a bunch of debt.”
The delays are due to the U.S. Department of Education’s overhaul of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA. The form is now shorter and simpler, but computer glitches have led to a botched rollout.
Typically, FAFSA forms are released on Oct. 1. Once submitted, the data is sent to colleges within one to three days, and it is then used to calculate financial aid.
But the updated application forms came out three months late, on Dec. 30, 2023. And schools will not receive the data until the first half of March.
The delay has forced some colleges to push their financial aid deadlines. Last week, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education announced that its 10 state universities will extend the student commitment deadline to May 15.
“Some universities are pushing, certainly, their priority deadlines for grants,” said Rachel Burns, senior policy analyst for the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. “State agencies are doing the same thing. We don’t know yet whether institutions are going to be able to change their decision deadlines.”
For James, pressure is mounting. Most of the schools she has applied to require a deposit by May 1.
“My biggest worry, I would say, is that there’s not enough time,” said her mother, Lori James, who added that her daughter would have already chosen her college if not for the FAFSA processing delay.
However, as it is, students like James can only hope the FAFSA fumble doesn’t delay their college dreams.
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CBS News
Kamala Harris will speak with “60 Minutes” tomorrow. Here’s what to know for the interview.
Voters will get the chance to hear from Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday as she presents her case for why she should be president in a “60 Minutes” election special.
For decades, “60 Minutes” has featured both Republican and Democratic nominees for presidents, but this year, former President Donald Trump backed out after previously indicating he would be on the show. Correspondent Scott Pelley, who’d been set to interview Trump, will instead travel to Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to more than 60% of Arizona’s voters and a critical battleground in a key swing state.
One thing is certain about the election; with the U.S. deeply involved in both the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, whoever wins on Nov. 5 will become a wartime president.
What Harris will discuss
Israel’s war started one year ago after Hamas launched a surprise terror attack and correspondent Bill Whitaker will discuss the ongoing war with Harris.
Harris will also discuss the economy, immigration, her record as vice president and the differences between herself and Trump.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz will also appear.
Whitaker joined the Democratic ticket on the campaign trail this week to gain insight into their platform’s priorities and values, and what the candidates believe voters should know.
Why Trump pulled out of the “60 Minutes” interview
Leading up to the candidate hour, Trump, through campaign spokespeople, was the first candidate to accept the “60 Minutes” request to be interviewed for the special, according to CBS News. It had been agreed that both candidates would receive equal time during the broadcast.
Trump last sat down with 60 Minutes in 2020. He walked out during the interview with Lesley Stahl. Trump referenced the incident on Tuesday night at a Milwaukee press conference when asked about his decision not to participate in the Oct. 7 “60 Minutes” election special.
“Well, right now, I went to – they came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first I want to get an apology, because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the ‘laptop from hell’ was from Russia, and I said it wasn’t from Russia. It was from Hunter, and I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes.’ I do everything.”
The Republican nominee for president emphasized that he felt he was owed an apology from “60 Minutes.”
“Let’s see if they do it. I wouldn’t mind doing 60,” Trump continued. “I’ve done ’60 Minutes’ a lot.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said that Trump’s team had not agreed to an interview.
“Fake News,” Cheung said in a post on X. “60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020. There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in. They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.”
Previous Trump, Harris appearances on 60 Minutes
Trump previously sat down with “60 Minutes'” Mike Wallace in 1985, Pelley in 2015 and Lesley Stahl twice in 2016, first in July of that year and then again in November of 2016. He also spoke with Stahl again in 2018 and 2020.
Harris previously sat down with Whitaker last year. She also was interviewed by Norah O’Donnell, “CBS Evening News” anchor and “60 Minutes” contributing correspondent, in 2020.
How to watch the “60 Minutes” election special
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