After discovering an error on the primary financial aid form for college students, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) last week recalled about 100,000 forms.
Most of the $40 billion in grants, loans and work-study assistance that students receive through the DOE's Student Financial Assistance Programs (SFA) is obtained via this form, known as FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
Only 100,000 of the 3.5 million financial aid forms were actually delivered, and these to 61 smaller colleges all over the country.
Since the erroneous forms were not sent to Harvard, the mistake should not affect students here.
"We don't expect any problems whatsoever," said Harvard's Senior Admissions and Financial Aid Officer Matthew J. DeGreeff '89.
The mistake came to light Friday when an employee of Boston University's financial aid office spotted two errors in line reference numbers--meaning that students would be entering information into the wrong spaces.
Once the DOE had confirmed the error, its officials immediately told colleges to refuse delivery of the erroneous forms. Schools that had already accepted deliveries were told to destroy the forms or have them picked up by the DOE.
The DOE has corrected the forms and is sending them via two-day express mail.
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