May 1 is usually college decision day, but FAFSA problems are causing delays
CNN
May 1, known as college decision day across the country, is usually a celebratory time for high school seniors. But this year, many students are stuck in limbo as they wait for delayed financial aid award letters – and have yet to decide where to enroll this fall.
May 1, known as college decision day across the country, is usually a celebratory time for high school seniors. But this year, many students are stuck in limbo as they wait for delayed financial aid award letters – and have yet to decide where to enroll this fall. The holdup stems from problems with this year’s FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), which students must submit to qualify for federal loans and grants, as well as for most financial aid offered by colleges and states. A new version of the form was released by the Department of Education late last year. The changes simplified the form and are expected to make more students eligible for financial aid. But a number of processing problems and glitches led to major delays. Typically, colleges and universities are able to deliver financial aid award letters to students in March. But many schools did not receive the FAFSA data they needed from the Department of Education until March, and once they did, millions of forms were found to have errors and needed to be reprocessed. Many schools traditionally require students to decide by May 1 whether they are enrolling in the fall. Hundreds of schools have pushed back their deadlines this year. But not every college has changed the date, forcing some students to make a decision and pay a deposit without having all the information about how much college will cost. The Department of Education has faced criticism for the botched rollout of the new FAFSA from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, as well as from college financial aid groups. At the request of some Republican members of Congress, the Government Accountability Office has started an investigation into the new form’s implementation.
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