"College financial aid offices are bracing for a spike in appeals from students finding that the aid packages they were offered for next year are no longer enough after the coronavirus pandemic cost their parents jobs or income," Bloomberg Government reports.

"Appealing financial awards has always been an option, yet the volume this time could be unlike anything colleges have seen, said MorraLee Keller, director of technical assistance at the National College Attainment Network. Some financial assistance advocates are concerned about aid officers’ ability to handle high appeal volumes and get reworked packages to students in time for them to decide whether to enroll or return to campus.

'Financial aid delayed is the same as no financial aid,' said Justin Draeger, president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

Many colleges have already pushed back to June 1 the traditional May 1 deadline for admitted students’ decisions, and some may extend it further. Some colleges and a foundation are hurrying out tools to let students file appeals online, and the Education Department, in guidance in early April, encouraged administrators to use their authority to adjust students’ federal aid applications case by case.

The Obama administration encouraged colleges to use that option for students affected by the 2008 financial crisis, Draeger said."

NASFAA's "Notable Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Articles included under the notable headlines section are not written by NASFAA, but rather by external sources. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

Publication Date: 4/18/2020