NORFOLK, Va. — Many families with college students or rising college freshmen submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid form or FAFSA form are stuck in limbo.
A Chesapeake mother with a son graduating high school soon said this should be an exciting time for students like her teenager.
"They're starting their new chapter in life, but with all of this uncertainty, it does add a level of stress," she said.
The mom wanted to remain anonymous but expressed wanting to speak out to share her story; she suspected she wasn't alone.
"I'm going into this with 'I may have to pay 100 percent of this tuition.' So, if I go into that with that mindset, it does limit his options," she said.
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A system overhaul meant to improve the process for FAFSA forms has resulted in technical problems, errors and delays.
"The initial overhaul of the FAFSA was originally supposed to be completed by October 2023. The new finalization date is now December 30, 2024," said Suzanne Scullion with G.R.A.C.E. Financial Coaching in Chesapeake.
A 13News Now viewer in Virginia Beach recalled technical issues with the FAFSA website earlier this year, but he said it was resolved in late February.
Meanwhile, the Chesapeake mother said she asked her son to go on the site as recently as April 3, and he couldn't connect.
"It's just been quite a nightmare of a website rollout, unfortunately," said Scullion. "The form itself is not loading. The website crashes when you're on there. The website is down just completely with complete outages for hours at a time. If you started your application, it may not be saving properly."
Scullion has fielded concerns from some of her clients about FAFSA-related issues. Plus, she mentioned many applicants have experienced issues getting support. She advised anyone seeking help via customerservice@studentaid.gov or 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) to pack their patience.
If cost is a major factor, Scullion encouraged parents and students to consider the possibility of alternatives like community college, trade school or a gap year.
Furthermore, Scullion identified the most recent issue announced by the U.S. Department of Education. "Incorrect tax data was transferred from the IRS page to the colleges, where the FAFSA-eligible students have already applied," the financial coach said.
In a blog post, Federal Student Aid's Chief Operating Officer Rich Cordray wrote in part, "We are continuing to work closely with the IRS to release a full list of FAFSA forms unaffected by recent tax data inconsistencies. We expect to start sending that list before the end of the week."
"Our goal remains to help schools package aid offers as quickly as possible," Cordray said in part.
The aforementioned Chesapeake mom said her family is counting on those aid offers from the schools before deciding on one.
"I'm really hoping that we can get some information before the end of May because graduation is in June," she added.
Many universities are making certain deadline adjustments in light of the federal delays. 13News Now reached out to Hampton Roads public universities on Wednesday. Old Dominion University and Christopher Newport University responded with the following statements.
From Jim Hanchett, Christopher Newport University Chief Communications Officer:
Christopher Newport is taking additional steps to assist first-year students seeking an affordable education that is anchored in excellence.
The Office of Admission is extending its May 1 enrollment verification deadline by two weeks for first-year students who submitted a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Submitting a FAFSA is an essential first step toward receiving financial aid and scholarships.
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) began to distribute FAFSA data Student Aid Reports to higher education institutions in late March. Many of the reports remain incomplete and the new software to begin the awarding process is being tested. The department has not yet provided students and parents with the ability to make corrections and/or provide missing information.
Because of the delay in receiving FAFSA data Student Aid Reports and the time required for installing and testing the new software, financial aid award offers for new students are expected to be delivered in mid to late April with offers to continuing students in the weeks following.
In order to provide ample time for families to review financial aid offers and finalize enrollment decisions, the Office of Admission has extended the $500 enrollment deposit deadline from May 1 to May 15 for all students who submitted a FAFSA. Additional extensions will be granted for those who experience further delays in financial aid processing.
CNU’s Office of Financial Aid will assist students and their families every step of the way through this process. Please call the Office of Financial Aid at (757) 594-7170 or email the office at finaid@cnu.edu if you have questions.
From Ashley Miller, Old Dominion University Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management:
On February 14, 2024, Old Dominion University announced an extension for admissions deposit and housing deadlines for all first-year students to accommodate submission and processing delays to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Admitted students have been notified that the admission deposit deadline has been extended to June 1, 2024 and the housing early action deadline is now May 28, 2024. ODU aims to award financial aid packages to new students by late April and remains on schedule to award packages to returning students in June.
We are committed to meeting students and parents where they are in their college decision-making journey by extending the time needed to make an informed choice. Furthermore, ODU remains proud to be the most affordable doctoral research university in the Commonwealth of Virginia and is dedicated to access and affordability of higher education to improve social mobility.