PHOENIX — Arizona State University, University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University have extended the financial aid priority submission deadline to May 1, 2024.
The move comes after the U.S. Department of Education announced a delay in sending students’ Free Application for Student Aid, also known as FAFSA.
According to the Department of Education, colleges and universities will receive applications in the first half of March 2024 — a delay of up to six weeks.
Weeks ago, the DOE rolled out a revamped FAFSA website aimed at making it easier to apply for college financial aid.
The website had been plagued with problems, mistakes and confusion. The latest delay happened due to the system they use to calculate financial aid, didn’t include the latest inflation adjustments.
With the delay, schools will receive information in March. It will likely take them weeks to review the information. Experts say some students may not see offers until mid to late April or even May which is around the time many schools have deadlines to commitments.
“Once the Department of Education shares your FAFSA data with us, ASU, NAU and UArizona teams will work promptly to provide financial aid information as soon as possible so that students and families can have a clear understanding of their cost of attendance and financial assistance opportunities,” the schools said in a joint statement.
While the deadline for financial aid has been extended at the schools, there’s no word on if deadlines will be pushed back for students to make their decisions.
The three public universities are committed to providing access to students. We will continue to monitor the situation and communicate the information and resources needed to make wise choices about their educational opportunities.
Families and students are still encouraged to apply for financial aid but are encouraged not to wait until the last minute.
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