High schools rally to support students experiencing FAFSA delays

In response to the ongoing stress of this year’s college application process, high schools have heightened their communication efforts with both high school seniors and their parents. They are providing additional support to navigate the college admission process and aiming to alleviate anxiety through engaging activities.

Exacerbating the typical stress of college application season, processing delays this year for transmitting Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) data to colleges have irked many individuals navigating an already stressful and intricate college application journey. 

These processing delays are shrinking the time frame between when colleges inform students of financial aid packages and the deadline by which students must confirm their enrollment choice. 

This means that this year’s seniors have potentially limited time to compare financial aid offers from different colleges, heightening the complexity of making college decisions.

In a typical year, many college decision deadlines fall on May 1. However, this year, several institutions have extended their deadlines, according to data from the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

“The timing and the new form and all of that has really shifted in terms of how we’re able to help them [students],” shared Meg Huggins, academic dean for innovation at River Bluff High School in South Carolina.