Problems with the U.S. Department of Education’s rollout of a new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and an understaffed call center caused a 3% drop in applications from the previous year as of Aug. 25, a set of federal reports released in September found.

The U.S. DOE issued a new FAFSA form that was supposed to be simpler and streamlined. The new form went live on Dec. 31, 2023, three months later than it is typically released, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s reports. Dozens of defects with the new online form, including not being able to progress past certain pages and signatures disappearing, delayed student submissions and frustrated families, who need accurate financial aid estimates to select a college.

Students sought help from the U.S. DOE’s call center, but about 75% of the 5.4 million calls went unanswered from January through May 2024.

The 3% decline in FAFSA applications translated to 432,000 fewer student applications than the previous year. High school seniors from lower-income families were the most likely to abandon their applications.

In a letter to college presidents in September, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona outlined 10 steps the agency is taking to improve the process this year, including fully staffing the call center.

Education Week, Sept. 24