Parents of new college students frustrated with delays in government financial aid process.

During this time of year, families of incoming college freshmen eagerly anticipate receiving acceptance letters from their dream schools, along with financial aid packages to help make their education more affordable. However, this year, there has been a delay in the rollout of the FAFSA application, leaving parents and students in a state of uncertainty about their financial situation.

According to a report by ABC News, the delay is due to the implementation of new forms for students to apply for financial aid, which was pushed back to January 2024. Usually, the FAFSA website releases the application in the fall, but the Department of Education made the decision to include new measures for calculating aid for the upcoming school year, causing a delay.

As previously reported, the biggest changes in the FAFSA this year include switching from the Expected Family Contribution to the Student Aid Index, as well as a shorter questionnaire to make the process faster. These changes were meant to benefit students by allowing more families to qualify for maximum funding, but the frequent technical issues and late release have caused students to pause their plans for attending their desired school.

Some parents have expressed their concerns to ABC News about the lack of financial information available to them. Jenny Nicholas, a mother of a high school senior in New Hampshire, stated, "We can't make a decision without knowing what we're committing to financially; it would be irresponsible to do that." Another parent, Agata James from Queens, New York, shared how the uncertainty has affected their decision-making process, saying, "Everything is in limbo until we see a financial aid package."

The delay has also impacted colleges and universities, with some schools extending their deposit deadlines to give families more time to make informed decisions. For example, Virginia Tech has pushed back their deadline to May 15th, which is later than previous years when the deadline was May 1st. Juan Espinoza, interim vice provost for enrollment management at the university, stated, "Families are understandably concerned about the FAFSA process this year, and they need more time to make fully informed decisions."

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona understands the importance of resolving this issue for millions of students and their families. He expressed, "We are determined to get this right. We must, and we will." The Department of Education is working to ensure that the delay is resolved soon so that families can have the necessary information to make their decisions.

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