FAFSA frustrations mount for incoming students, families needing aid
High school seniors and their families are scrambling to meet college decision deadlines as FAFSA frustrations continue.
Updates to the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) have caused delays and glitches in getting students the aid packages they need to pay for college.
Students can now make corrections to their applications, things like missed signatures or consent from parents. That change started this week.
Most schools in the UNC system, including at NC State, have pushed back deadlines because of this botched rollout of the FAFSA updates.
On Thursday, Nakeiba Smith's son Will was touring the NC State campus he plans to call home for the next four years.
The Baltimore-based family from Baltimore still doesn't know if he'll get federal financial aid.
"It’s still a delay. There’s not a response back. So, we’re just waiting like everyone else is," Nakeiba said.
The delays started with the rollout of a new, simpler FAFSA form several months behind schedule. The system then hit another snag that delayed sending student records to colleges.
Now, the US Department of Education says 16% of the 7 million applications submitted so far require some sort of student correction. And 30% have been impacted by processing or data errors.
Wes Armstrong is director of financial aid operations for the UNC system.
"Right now, our priority with the FAFSA is to help students complete the FAFSA," Armstrong said. "Some students have started it but weren’t able to complete it."
He said the system's 16 universities are working quickly to get financial aid offers out so students can commit to their future college.
"Usually, we’d be working with students from November until May 1 to take care of your FAFSA, sort out any hurdles," Armstrong said. "We’re essentially chopping off five to six months of that time."
Most UNC System schools have extended the deadline to commit by two weeks to May 15.
Armstrong said you should check the status of your FAFSA form and make any corrections now that you can do that.
