Warren, Wyden call on General Dynamics for FAFSA answers

April 10 (UPI) -- Two senators sent a letter to the FAFSA general contractor demanding answers about the "bungled launch" of the new college financial aid forms that has stalled the application process at many higher education institutions.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Senate Finance Chair Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., sent a letter to the CEO of General Dynamics about the issues with the new FAFSA rollout.

The senators claim the application had been "riddled with technical errors" and that "these failures are hurting students.

"Colleges and universities are beginning to receive financial aid information on students after months of delays," the senators wrote. "There are growing concerns that the FAFSA problems will disproportionately affect traditionally underserved communities, particularly Black, Latino, first-generation and low-income students."

The two senators said General Dynamics was paid $121.8 million to modernize the FAFSA system following the changes made in the FAFSA Simplification Act and it promised an improved overall experience.

"These promises were not kept; indeed, it now appears that your efforts to date have been a near-total failure and that the FAFSA problems caused by this failure are harming millions of students and hundreds of colleges," Warren and Wyden wrote.

The letter comes as the House prepares for a hearing on the FAFSA launch and the problems suffered during the rollout. General Dynamics will have until April 23 to respond to Warren and Wyden's letter along with an accounting of what payments they have received from the Biden administration.