Class of 2024 Families:

We wanted to reach out regarding some important changes and delays with the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) filing and processing this year.

As many of you have experienced, the FAFSA roll out on December 31, 2023 was not smooth.  Colleges have been preparing to receive FAFSA data beginning this month. Last week, the Department of Education announced that there will be a delay and colleges will not receive applicant data until mid-March.

Below is a message from the Michigan College Access Network detailing the situation.

FROM MICHIGAN COLLEGE ACCESS NETWORK

Dear Class of 2024 students and families,

As you may have heard, Federal Student Aid has released a new timeline that will impact when students will receive college award packages. Right now, it is anticipated that colleges will not receive the FAFSA data until mid-March, therefore they will not be able to send financial aid packages until late March or early April. We know that this may cause you to delay your final decisions for next school year. We have been hearing from various colleges and universities and they recognize the impact that this may have on you and continue to figure out ways to address/support these changes. You may hear from colleges soon. We put together some things you can do while you wait: 

1. First, file the FAFSA. Although there is a delay, the sooner you file the sooner you will receive an award letter. Note: FAFSA is running inconsistently on chromebooks. If possible, students/families should use a computer other than a chromebook.
2. Visit colleges that you have been accepted to or that you are interested in. Get a feel for the campus to make sure you have information that will help you with your final decision.
3. Use the FSA Student Aid Estimator to determine potential aid and compare it to actual college costs (using net cost calculator) as you begin to think about final college decisions.
4. Research and apply for scholarships: use this list to find scholarships that you may qualify for. They have varying requirements so you may qualify!
5. All scholarship providers should understand that they will not have FAFSA submission summaries until mid-March. They can produce evidence of FAFSA completion if necessary.
6. Attend virtual webinars about financing college through MiStudentAid to learn more about various opportunities. Register and you will receive the recording even if you are not attending live. 
7. If you are having challenges with the FAFSA form, Live chat and email (customerservice@studentaid.gov) has been working. Providing screenshots of issues in the email is helpful!