Another FAFSA Delay
In case you missed it, the U.S. Department of Education announced another FAFSA delay earlier today (01/30/24).
Student information will not be sent to schools/stares until mid-March.
Potential Impact of This FAFSA Delay
***Updated information is in this post.***
This is concerning for all students dependent on financial aid, but especially for incoming students, who must weigh aid packages from each school before making a final decision.
Students and their families will have very little time to carefully evaluate the merits of each received package against the family budget,
Assuming the DOE sticks to the new date, schools must scramble to assemble and send out packages, which means students probably won’t receive until sometime in April.
The national deadline for securing a spot at college is May 1.
Inquiries have been made to a few schools to see if an extension is under consideration, but it’s too early for a determination to be made.
Under the circumstances, it is unlikely that extensions will be granted because of all the other considerations that institutions have at this time of year.
Update: Some schools have granted deposit deadline extensions. The continually updated list is maintained on “FAFSA Fallout Continues.”
If extension announcements are made, updates will be posted on the blog and “Education Unpacked” YouTube channel.
What’s next?
It would have been wonderful to report that the DOE was ahead of schedule with its reporting rather than pushing the date back, again.
Knowing this now, at least, allows families to set aside time in April for review. It may be necessary to skip a get-together or some other event to devote sufficient time to this most important decision.
Plan accordingly and check back here for updates.
The 2025-25 FAFSA application should be a smoother experience.
Additional Reading:
What’s Missing from the 2024-25 FAFSA? – (teshley.com)
