The US Department of Education has introduced a temporary workaround for Texas students facing March deadlines for college financial aid applications affected by a glitch in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This workaround permits students with immigrant, non-citizen parents who are unable to provide a Social Security number to submit an incomplete FAFSA online without a parent's signature. After submission, students will receive a confirmation email that can be presented to their colleges or universities to meet the deadline.

According to The Texas Tribune, the Department of Education anticipates resolving the glitch by the first half of March. Students who initially submitted an incomplete FAFSA will then need to have their parents add their signatures to avoid potential rejection of their applications. The deadline for Texas students to apply for financial aid is set for March 15.

Statistics from the left-leaning think tank Every Texan suggest that approximately one in four children in Texas has at least one non-US citizen parent without a Social Security number. For about 1.6 million Texas college students, FAFSA remains a critical pathway to access federal, state, and school grants and scholarships.

The Department of Education's acknowledgment of the glitch's impact on immigrant households marks the first public recognition of the issue. While the workaround has been implemented as a solution, it has been deemed confusing and burdensome by some immigration advocates interviewed by the Tribune. Texas college counselors are now evaluating each individual case to advise students on whether to wait for the glitch to be resolved or to utilize the temporary workaround.