Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the University of Missouri System recently announced extensions to their fall enrollment deadlines for incoming first-year students because of big changes and federal calculation errors to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
SIUE has extended its fall enrollment deadline by a month to June 1, while UM System and its four schools, which include the University of Missouri-St. Louis, has extended its deadline by two weeks to May 15.
A number of national education associations have recommended deadline extensions. “Even the national organization for college admissions, NACAC, provided this recommendation … to give families time to make this decision,” said Samantha Ray, director of undergraduate admissions at SIUE.
Students and families need more time so they have the full financial picture.
The revised FAFSA, which usually opens Oct. 1, did not open in 2023 until late December. On March 22, the U.S. Department of Education announced a calculation error affecting more than 200,000 students’ applications.
Ray said the changes that automatically import IRS tax data were intended to streamline the financial aid process, which was often confusing and cumbersome.
“There’s a new process in place, and they’re realizing it’s taking a bit more time to work out the kinks than they would have expected or planned,” she said.
Once the kinks are worked out, Ray said she’s optimistic the changes will make the process easier.
“The hope is that Oct. 1, 2024, this form will be available to students and families to complete right away, and then the federal government will start to send data to universities right away as they receive it,” she said.
In the meantime, Ray said families have been understanding that colleges and universities are experiencing the same delays that they are.
