FAFSA applications were delayed this year so the organization could restructure the website, claiming that the new site would be easier to use and the application simpler. This meant that internal college financial aid deadlines needed to be pushed back or extreme leniency given. Colleges were not only operating on a later timeline, but with limited/innacurate financial aid material, meaning the packages offered to students were based on essentially guess-work.
The impact on the student decision process was significant. For many struggling families, the amount of aid received from FAFSA determines what college their child will be able to attend. A majority of those implicated by the glitch still have not received their packages, and as the May 1st deadline approaches, students are running out of time to commit. Some may commit without knowing all of their financial aid information and risk defaulting into debt, while others may choose schools of lesser quality to avoid the risk. Some may not commit at all.
With such a major, life-changing decision already weighing on them, the stress of not having all necessary information only compounds the mental health issues college decisions cause in students. Even extremely qualified students, like senior and valedictorian Mihika Grundhi, had to delay committing to college due to FAFSA issues. As she progressed through her final days of school and explored colleges, she says the FAFSA “was always something in the back of my mind,” distracting her from important assignments and work. “It was harder to decide where I wanted to go,” Grundhi said as the May 1st application deadline closed in.” Grundhi’s family was even impacted by the financial stress. “More than me, it affected my parents more. They were more worried than I was.”
Deciding to attend college is a major decision in a student’s life. This decision impacts nearly every aspect of their future career and lifestyle. Mental health issues in high school seniors are already common due to this pressure, and FAFSA preventing students from accurately making a decision has only made things worse.
