Challenges in College Applications: FAFSA Delays and Financial Aid Uncertainties

TFD – Discover the hurdles students encounter in college applications, from FAFSA delays to uncertainties in financial aid.

Although the college application process is usually a difficult one, this year has been even more so due to issues with a new version of the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

The new application, which must be completed in order to be eligible for several loans, grants, and scholarships, was poorly launched, which has resulted in significant delays in schools receiving the accurate information from candidates.

Because of this, the majority of students are still unaware of the cost of college for the upcoming academic year, which makes it very challenging for high school graduates to make decisions about where or whether to enroll by the usual May 1 deadline.

By the end of March, universities are often able to provide financial assistance awards to students.

However, Kim Cook, CEO of the National College Attainment Network, said senators on Wednesday during a hearing on the issues with this year’s FAFSA that as of this week, “most high school seniors have yet to receive an aid offer.”

An update to the FASFA form was long overdue. Congress required the update, which has made the application simpler to complete and, if all goes according to plan, would increase the number of students who qualify for financial aid.

However, families and students couldn’t access the form until January, which was around three months later than normal. And adding to the hassles are a number of bugs. Concerns have been raised by some experts that the issues may keep some low-income students from applying to colleges this fall.

The following three students’ tales illustrate how their college decisions are being postponed due to FAFSA issues:

“Relying on faith” and paying the deposit

The 17-year-old Chase Cunningham will graduate from high school in the middle of May, but by then, he might not have a college plan.

Since Morehouse College was his top option, Cunningham paid the nonrefundable deposit for the historically Black, all-male university in Atlanta.

He referred to the moniker given to Morehouse alumni as “Morehouse Man,” saying, “To be honest, the prestige and respect that comes from being a ‘Morehouse Man’ is really important to me.

Cunningham has not gotten a financial assistance letter after being accepted to five universities. Furthermore, the type of grants and scholarships he gets could determine whether Morehouse, a private institution, ends up being the most expensive. Public, in-state schools comprise a number of his other possibilities.

“Though we paid Morehouse the deposit, things are still a little unclear. If the price turns out to be really high, what should I do next? He stated.

Lisa Wilson, Cunningham’s mother, expressed her hope that she might be preparing for her son’s high school graduation instead of worrying about the cost of college the next year.

She pointed out that because the class of 2024 enrolled during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, they had already missed out on the traditional high school experience.

We simply don’t know how much it will cost. We’ve reached a point when all we have left is faith, Wilson remarked.

picking a roommate prior to receiving a letter of financial assistance

The eighteen-year-old Ellie Norvitch has been ahead of the curve in her college admissions.

She applied early, in August of last year, and received the majority of her acceptance letters by the end of the previous year.

She gave her first choice a refundable deposit in December. According to Norvitch, the private College of St. Scholastica in Minnesota is a good fit for her due to its convenient location and suitable size. She already picked a roommate and signed up for freshman orientation.

Though she is unsure, Norvitch believes that the College of St. Scholastica will also be her most economical choice. From the six institutions she applied to, she has not gotten any award letters for financial assistance.

According to Norvitch, she submitted two successful applications for St. Scholastica scholarships; however, because of the FAFSA delays, the school is still awaiting word on the scholarships’ exact value. The prizes might be from $500 to $14,000.

“I may have to reevaluate my decision to attend this school, even though I’m soft-committed to it,” Norvitch stated if the financial aid offered did not match his expectations.

In the meantime, her second-choice school’s deposit due is approaching in April. The date has been extended to later this spring by some of her other alternatives.

Norvitch intends to attend law school and will probably incur student debt in order to do so, thus she wants to avoid taking out loans to pay for her undergraduate education.

The circumstance is also causing stress for her mother, Kelsey Norvitch.

As we wait for this, she remarked, “it almost feels like a black cloud is hanging over our heads, during what should be a really exciting time.”

balancing deadlines that move

The 24-year-old Taylor Smith filed her FAFSA in January. However, until the week of April 15, the Department of Education will not permit any additions or modifications to previously filed forms due to issues with the new application procedure.

That means the two colleges that Smith recently applied to won’t be getting her financial aid information before late April because she can’t access the FAFSA to add them to her list.

Since Smith, a student at a community college, is unsure if she will learn the cost before deciding where to attend, it seems as though those two possibilities may have been effectively eliminated.

“I’m kind of creating a plan without FAFSA, but knowing more information would change the game,” Smith said.

She is not alone in her impatient wait to amend her FAFSA paperwork. As of April 9, the Department of Education reports that up to 16% of FAFSA forms that were submitted required corrections.

Some of Smith’s college decision deadlines are later for a transfer student than they would be for a senior in high school. She therefore has a little extra time to decide.

Thankfully, Smith has less worry now that California has delayed the deadline for state grants and scholarships by one month, until May 2.

In addition, Loyola Marymount University, one of her possible schools, sent her an application for financial help last week. With any luck, the school will be able to produce an aid package sooner.

Smith is now planning her college expenses under the assumption that she won’t be awarded any grants or scholarships. She is qualified for $12,000 in federal student loans, which she might use to pay for two state universities: California State University, Northridge and University of California, Los Angeles.

“I have enough loan eligibility to only need to spend a few thousand dollars out of pocket. It might stink, but it would be alright,” she remarked.

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