The challenges in implementing the long-overdue effort to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid have affected millions of families, straining the capacity of college counseling and financial aid offices nationwide.

There’s time later to figure out what went wrong. For now, we have to work together to minimize any further harm to those most in need—our students—writes Lumina Foundation's Jamie Merisotis in his latest column for Forbes.

Photo: Yunuen Bonaparte

Keischa Taylor is a rare success story among college students who are also parents. She began her college education in her early 20s, balancing it with raising two sons and working retail jobs. And she just finished her bachelor’s degree last semester—at 53.

Many student-parents have long had to rely on themselves and each other, as Taylor did, to make it through college. Now, that's changing as student-parents begin to garner new attention.

Maria Artica is a first-generation student who plans to become a doctor. She is pursuing her dream by first getting an associate degree in life science at Richard Bland College, a two-year institution in Virginia. 

As with many students, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is Artica's gateway to paying for her education. However, ongoing issues with the form this year have left students like Artica with new affordability concerns and questions about the future.