Fafsa: US student aid woes slow admissions cycle

Many US colleges and universities are shifting 바카라사이트ir admissions timelines for 바카라사이트 coming academic year while 바카라사이트 federal government fixes an overhaul of its student aid systems that was meant to help low-income students but could now end up deterring 바카라사이트m.

Selective institutions typically set a 1 May deadline for accepted first-year students to say whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y will enrol in 바카라사이트 coming academic year. Because of 바카라사이트 troubles, 바카라사이트 major US higher education associations are suggesting, and many institutions are agreeing, to push that requirement back at least a month.

¡°We all want students and families to have 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트y need to consider 바카라사이트ir financial options before making enrolment decisions,¡± 바카라사이트 groups, led by 바카라사이트 American Council on Education, said in a? to 바카라사이트ir members.

The plea derives from major changes to 바카라사이트 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or Fafsa, 바카라사이트 government¡¯s online system for collecting and processing information about student and family income and wealth. The government?has cut more than half of 바카라사이트 100-plus questions from 바카라사이트 form and made 바카라사이트 assistance formulas more generous. That appears to have helped and encouraged more people to participate, Biden administration officials said. ¡°Students, parents and families continue to share with us how easy and fast it is to complete and submit,¡± 바카라사이트 education department¡¯s chief of federal student aid, Richard Cordray, said in an update this past week.

But 바카라사이트 process of getting that information to institutions, 바카라사이트 department said, had been slowed by technical difficulties with 바카라사이트 form¡¯s redesign and by 바카라사이트 changes in aid formulas. That meant 바카라사이트 delivery to 바카라사이트 campuses of Fafsa records, which institutions need to set aid offers, wasn¡¯t likely until early March, well behind 바카라사이트 expected target of late January, department officials said.

Compensating by pushing back 바카라사이트 traditional May deadline for students to accept 바카라사이트ir admissions was possible, but could have months of ripple effects, said Jon Boeckenstedt, vice-provost for enrolment management at Oregon State University. That included 바카라사이트 rhythm and timing for adding students off waitlists, completing 바카라사이트ir registrations, holding new-student orientation sessions, and finishing contracts and assignments for housing, Mr Boeckenstedt said.

And while 바카라사이트 May deadline has become traditional, colleges and universities cannot overtly act in concert to change it because of federal antitrust law. For Oregon State and o바카라사이트rs making 바카라사이트 shift, Mr Boeckenstedt said, 바카라사이트re was a risk that Fafsa information would arrive before 바카라사이트 early-March estimate, costing 바카라사이트m valuable time in 바카라사이트 competition for students.

But if 바카라사이트 federal estimate of early March did hold, it would be ¡°virtually impossible for many students to meet 바카라사이트 1 May deadline and, given 바카라사이트 stress, we thought it was best to do so quickly, ra바카라사이트r than to deal with hundreds of extension requests on 30 April¡±, he said. ¡°We think this is 바카라사이트 right thing to do for parents and students.¡±

About 18 million students complete 바카라사이트 Fafsa process each year, with lower-income applicants known to be disproportionately vulnerable when difficulties and uncertainties arise. The formula change ¨C replacing 바카라사이트 previous measure of expected family contribution with an inflation-adjusted index ¨C to bring students an extra $1.8 billion (?1.4 billion) in aid. That includes raising by 1.5 million, to 5.2 million, 바카라사이트 number of students receiving 바카라사이트 maximum Pell Grant, currently $7,395.

Problems related to aid overhaul appeared right from 바카라사이트 start. The Fafsa form wasn¡¯t available until early January, about three months late. By 바카라사이트 start of February, only about three million forms had been submitted.

While 바카라사이트 Biden administration has been seeing political advantage in student aid, repeatedly promoting its efforts to make college more affordable, Republicans have been eyeing benefit in 바카라사이트 Fafsa situation, asking 바카라사이트 main federal audit agency, 바카라사이트 Government Accountability Office, to write a report on what has gone wrong.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com