Excerpt from the Dayton Daily News
Families and students should now be able to make corrections to the Free Application For Student Aid, better known as the FAFSA, after a botched rollout that has caused families and universities to scramble as the deadline to commit to colleges and get financial aid packages looms.
“Beginning late last week, students, on a limited basis, were allowed to make changes to the FAFSA,” said Kim Jenerette, executive director of financial aid, Cedarville University. “However, colleges and universities are still not allowed to make changes, nor have we been notified by the Department of Education as to when we will be allowed to make necessary changes.”
Kim Everhart, director of the Office of Financial Aid at Wright State University, said WSU has gotten about 30 corrections so far. The university plans to communicate further with students about corrections, Everhart said.
The U.S. Department of Education, which administers the FAFSA, said more information will be sent out to those who are in an “action required” status.
The timing is critical. Under the traditional college admissions calendar, many universities notify students whether they got in and what their financial aid package will be around April 1, and students make their final decision and submit a deposit by May 1. But some families are still waiting on financial aid information from schools, or still have to fix errors on their FAFSAs. Many can’t commit to a college without knowing for sure how much they’ll have to pay freshman year.
The new FAFSA was meant to be simpler and it asks fewer questions. But the form wasn’t available until January, when it is normally available in October. When it did become available, many people were unable to access it due to a slow website.
