FAFSA Survey: 3 in 4 Americans Have Had Trouble Filing for FAFSA

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be available on October 1 for students attending the 2025-2026 academic year. It’ll be the second year of the Education Department’s “Better FAFSA” financial aid form – and a test if the form has actually been improved.

Debt.com’s latest survey of 1,000 Americans shows how necessary the improvements to FAFSA are:

• 76% Have had trouble filling out a FAFSA form.
• Of those respondents, 48% said there were far too many questions, and 31% said, “the website was under maintenance every time I tried to file.”
• 23% of those who had trouble saying the FAFSA took at least 3 ½ hours to complete. The Education Department says the “Better FAFSA” will take 15 minutes.

How many people struggle to fill out FAFSA?

What are the biggest challenges when filling out FAFSA?

How long does it take most people to file for FAFSA?

Which generation is most likely to have had trouble filing FAFSA?

How many people believe the Pell Grant will add to their student loan debt?

Does filing for FAFSA help people avoid student loan debt?

What interest rates do people pay on Federal student loans?

Click here for full survey results

Have you or someone in your household ever filed a FAFSA form?
Yes	78.12%
No	21.88%

Did you have trouble filling out a FAFSA form?
Yes	75.89%
No	24.11%

If yes, around when did you fill out a FAFSA?
2020-2024	38.80%
2016-2020	43.34%
2012-2016	9.74%
2008-2012	8.12%

What was the biggest challenge you had filling the FAFSA form out?
There were far too many questions (over 100)	48.05%
The website was under maintenance every time I tried to file	30.84%
I didn’t know all the financial information FAFSA asked for	15.75%
FAFSA won’t let me or my parents sign and submit the form	2.92%
I didn’t have any help filling it out	2.44%

How long did it take to fill out the FAFSA form?
15 minutes	10.55%
30 minutes to 1 hour	36.97%
1 1/2 to 3 hours	32.75%
3 1/2 to 7 hours	15.01%
8+ hours	3.10%
I gave up	1.61%

Did you feel you or your child would qualify for the Pell Grant
Yes	87.22%
No	12.78%

Did you or your child end up qualifying?
Yes	80.77%
No	12.53%
Unsure	6.70%

Did you feel the Pell Grant would contribute to you taking on more debt?
Yes	77.18%
No	22.82%

Did filing FAFSA help you attain any of the following?
Pell Grant	56.48%
Federal Direct subsidized student loans	57.11%
Federal Direct unsubsidized student loans	43.02%
Scholarships	31.55%
Work study	19.83%
None of the above	7.11%

Did filing FAFSA help you stay out of student loan debt?
Yes, Pell Grants, scholarships, and/or work study helped me stay debt-free	58.23%
No, I took out Federal student loans (up to $5,000)	10.72%
No, I took out Federal student loans ($5,000 to $10,000)	10.47%
No, I took out Federal student loans ($10,000 to $25,000)	10.35%
No, I took out Federal student loans ($25,000 to $50,000)	4.86%
No, I took out Federal student loans ($50,000 to $100,000)	2.99%
No, I took out Federal student loans ($100,000 to $250,000)	1.25%
No, I took out Federal student loans ($250,000+)	1.12%

If no, what is your education level?
I never graduated with a degree	22.68%
Associate degree	13.57%
Bachelor’s Degree	34.01%
Master’s Degree	22.86%
Ph. D, J.D., Doctoral Degree	6.88%

How high are the interest rates on your Federal student loans?
0-3.5%	35.50%
3.5%-6%	25.28%
6.5%-8%	23.79%
8%-10%	9.29%
More than 10%	6.13%

Accordion Block Title 2022 survey results

Have you or someone in your household ever filed a FAFSA form
Yes	81.14%
No	18.86%

Did you have trouble filling out a FAFSA form?
Yes	38.54%
No	61.46%

What was the biggest challenge you had filling it out?
I didn’t know all the financial information they asked for?	52.36%
I didn’t have any help filling it out	24.06%
I received an error message	14.62%
I didn’t create an FSA ID beforehand	5.66%
I didn’t know the deadline	3.30%

Did you feel you or your child qualified?
Yes	88.16%
No	11.84%

Did they end up qualifying?
Yes	69.36%
No	19.27%
I don’t know	11.38%

Did you feel the Pell Grant would contribute to you taking on more debt?
Yes	36.29%
No	63.71%

For full 2021 survey results, click here

Have you or someone in your household ever filed a FAFSA?
Yes	76.56%
No	23.44%

Did you have trouble filling out a FAFSA form?
Yes	31.40%
No	68.60%

What was the biggest challenge you had filling it out?
I didn’t know all the financial information they asked for	44.11%
I didn’t have any help filling it out	27.76%
I received an error message	18.25%
I didn’t create an FSA ID beforehand	7.22%
I didn’t know the deadline	2.66%

Did you feel you or your child qualified?
Yes	88.76%
No	11.24%

Did they end up qualifying?
Yes	67.90%
No	21.64%
I don’t know	10.64%

Did you feel the Pell Grant would contribute to you taking on more debt?
Yes	34.27%
No	65.73%

Methodology: Debt.com surveyed over 1,000 Americans and asked 12 questions about their experiences applying for a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). People responded from all 50 states, including Washington, DC, and were aged 18 and above. Responses were collected through SurveyMonkey. Percentages were rounded to the nearest whole number and might not total 100 percent.