Dec. 15—With the latest edition of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid still in the works, prospective college students, their families and university financial aid departments are getting a little wary heading into college decision crunch time.
Usually available in early October, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is filled out by students and families across the country and submitted to apply for financial aid and federal student loans.
This year, the FAFSA will be available on Dec. 31 due to the form undergoing changes to streamline the process as a result of the FAFSA Simplification Act, according to the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA).
The New Year's Eve release date is the last day the form can legally be released, according to Erin Wolfe, director of financial aid at Bucknell University, who said regulations require the FAFSA to be available by Jan. 1.
The updated form will use the IRS Data Exchange to link tax information into the application as well as expand access to Federal Pell Grants and use updated student aid calculations, PHEAA said.
Wolfe said she hopes the IRS Data Exchange change to the application works as it is intended. "The application will be simplified, but I hope it's not seen as a burden to students and families as well because the whole intent is to speed it up," she said.
Preparation for the new edition of the FAFSA has been in the works for a long time, according to Justin Rummel, interim vice president for enrollment at Susquehanna University.
"This is the final phase of a multi-year implementation," Rummel said. "There will be lots of good things like new integrations with IRS and less questions, so that's really cool."
Though these changes are positive ones, it may take time for university financial department staffers to get used to them, Wolfe said.
"Everything we know and have evaluated for years, it's a whole new look and feel," Wolfe said. "We also don't know what families and students might experience on their side."
A downside to the change is the time crunch it has placed on students and their families. "It has compressed the time frame for which students have all the information necessary to make the right college decision," Rummel said.
Because the FAFSA is the primary form required to be considered for financial support from federal and state governments, universities and for some scholarships, the delay is a challenge for prospective students, Tiffanie DeVan, PHEAA's higher education access partner said.
"With the FAFSA delay, students relying on this aid will likely not receive financial aid offers from schools until February at the earliest," she said. "Those students may not be able to make their school choice until late winter or early spring. As a result, students and families may not have as much time to weigh all their options."
Brynna Miller is a Shikellamy senior who attends SUN Area Technical Institute and studies culinary arts.
Brynna Miller said years ago, her dad, in an attempt to get she and her siblings to finish their chores, turned on the Food Network to bore them. "I just sat there and watched it for hours," she said.
Brynna Miller's dream school is The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in Philadelphia. She was already accepted to the selective, private institute that only accepts about 220 students a year, according to her mom, Elizabeth Miller.
The financial aid department at Walnut Hill College made their students aware their tuition rate will be increasing next year, so in order to lock in at the current rate, they would have to submit a $1,000 payment by Dec. 31, Elizabeth Miller said.
"I was like, 'no problem, the FAFSA will come through by then and we will know exactly what she'll have to have in student loans,' but since the FAFSA isn't open, we don't know how much she will need in loans," Elizabeth Miller said. "So we have been trying to raise this $1,000 throughout December."
With the help of social media, a lot of community members have reached out in support.
"We had a Pampered Chef fundraiser and had a lot of people reach out and say 'if I can help you a little here or there, to help you get the funding, I will,'" Elizabeth Miller said. "The community outreach has been amazing."
As if the stresses of being a high school senior trying to figure out their next steps weren't enough to handle, the added pressures of figuring out financial aid have been a lot, Brynna Miller said. "I really want to go there. It's my dream school," she said.
Another of Elizabeth Miller's children, Natalie Miller, attends Penn State Behrend in Erie and is in a slightly different situation as an already enrolled student, but is still waiting on the release of the FAFSA which will determine if her financial aid will change, Elizabeth Miller said.
Financial aid departments will also have to move quickly as they are not expected to receive the data from the applications until late January or early February, Wolfe said.
"We have to become familiar with the systems and changes and are going to be working in a really condensed timeline to put decisions together and get them out to their families," she said.
Similarly, Rummel said universities will be working quickly to get offers in students' hands.
"For institutions, there is going to be a compressed timeframe to navigate the process and to make financial aid offers," he said.
As the clock ticks down to the form's release, James H. Steeley, PHEAA President and CEO, said he encourages everyone to apply for aid, even if they don't think they will receive anything.
"You should never make the assumption that you won't receive aid," Steeley said. "Most students receive some type of financial aid, so it is critical that everyone who plans to attend college submit the FAFSA. "
There are a few things students and families can do ahead of time to get ready for the form's release.
Wolfe said checking in with schools ahead of time can't hurt.
"Call and ask schools what their timelines are," she said. "Ask if you can be doing anything preemptively to get things to the school ahead of time, minus the application, to cross some things off the list."
More resources can be found online at studentaid.gov, a federal website which also provides access to the FAFSA form. The site also offers a Federal Student Aid Estimator that can give students an idea of what they can expect to receive aid-wise, according to Wolfe.
Rummel suggested students set up their identification on the Federal Student Aid (FSA) website ahead of time.
"We are encouraging all admitted and returning students to set up their FSA ID," he said. "Once the account is set up, you can sign up for notifications for when the FAFSA becomes available to get into the queue as early as possible, which is important."
All students and required contributors, including parents and spouse, must create an ID at least four days before completing the FAFSA, according to PHEAA. The ID can be set up at StudentAid.gov/fsa-id/create-account.
Following the Department of Education on social media could also be helpful. The department is active on X, Facebook, Youtube and Instagram and will likely post updates when the FAFSA is available, according to Rummel.
