Bricelyn Harrelson, a high school senior from New Smyrna Beach, Florida, found herself applying to colleges for six months due to the FAFSA overhaul that caused glitches and errors in the application process. The delays in processing FAFSA forms have left students and families in limbo, waiting on financial aid information to make decisions about where to attend college. Many students, like Harrelson, are facing uncertainty and stress as they wait for aid offers that will determine their college choices.
Kelly Gainor, a parent from Albany, New York, decided to cut back on retirement savings to free up money for her daughter’s college tuition due to the FAFSA mess. Without knowing how much federal aid her daughter will receive, Gainor and her husband are unsure how many loans they may need to take out to cover tuition costs. The uncertainty has forced them to reconsider their financial planning and make difficult decisions about how to pay for their daughter’s college education.
College officials across the country are facing delays in processing students’ financial information from FAFSA, leading many universities to extend decision deadlines for accepted students. Some families, like the Alvarados, have made plans for potential financial fallout rather than waiting for aid information. Roman Alvarado committed to attending a university without knowing his final aid package in order to secure his spot on the soccer team, emphasizing the stress and uncertainty many families are experiencing.
Olivia Maynard Payne, a student from Lutz, Florida, committed to her last-choice school, the University of Southern Florida, due to financial constraints caused by the FAFSA delays. Her family was banking on federal aid to help cover college costs, but widespread application issues prevented them from signing the online form. Olivia had been accepted to several pricier private colleges that offered merit scholarships, but without processed FAFSA forms, she couldn’t determine if they were financially viable options.
Sherri Schendzielos, a mother with four children currently in or applying to college, has yet to receive financial aid packages for any of her children despite completing FAFSA forms. The uncertainty has led one of her sons to opt for community college over a four-year university due to uncertain finances. The delays in processing FAFSA forms have left families like the Schendzielos’ in a state of limbo, unsure of how they will afford higher education for their children.
The Department of Education has been working to clear a backlog of FAFSA forms since mid-March, with millions processed as of March 25. Despite efforts to address the issues, many families are still waiting for financial aid information to make decisions about college enrollment. The delays and uncertainty caused by the FAFSA overhaul have forced students and families to make tough choices about how they will finance higher education and navigate the college application process in the midst of ongoing challenges.
