... "'Somewhere between November through January, a traditional school would start preparing and sending out their aid offers,' Draeger says."

 

"This year's delayed FAFSA release has put a tighter timeline on that process. 'So all of the process that was built into a previous year is now condensed, condensed significantly,' Draeger adds. 'We don't know how significantly because we don't have a firm date from the Department of Education of when schools will receive the applicant data.'"

"The department says it will be sending FAFSA eligibility information to colleges in late January, but it hasn't given a date."

"The delays have put an enormous strain on schools to compress their traditional financial aid process by months, not just weeks, Draeger says. It's also making it difficult for students and families to commit to a college when they don't yet know what the price tag will be."

 ... "But not all of Congress' intended changes have made it into this year's form. Lawmakers had instructed the Education Department to adjust for inflation when calculating how much of a student's or family's income should be used to decide financial aid eligibility. But that adjustment didn't happen."

"'That would have protected more income and thereby lowered the ... amount that families would have had to contribute to their educations,' says Draeger of NASFAA."

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.