FAFSA changes

[73349]

In case you hadn't already seen it:

 

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/about/announcements/fafsa-changes

[elegantlion]

Also be aware that individual school may move their financial aid deadlines. My university moved its priority deadline (deadline for institutional scholarship application) back to February 1st from March 1st. 

[Ann.without.an.e]

Does anyone wonder if this earlier opening is so schools can size you up financially before acceptance?  Is that a crazy thought?  

 

[JanetC]

Well, it's supposed to be so students can size up colleges financially sooner, but it has to work the other way, too.

 

I don't think any of the colleges DD applied to last year had financial aid forms due after accpetance, though.

[G5052]

I saw this some months back and am so happy indeed.

 

I looked, and the colleges mine are or will be attending apparently are sticking with March 1, 2017.

 

We've had tax complications each year that made March 1st difficult. It doesn't make sense to me, but DS's school wanted the final FAFSA or a tax return by March 1st. If you wanted first crack at merit aid, you had to have your FAFSA or tax return. Given that I worked there and that it's local, I really didn't want to give them my tax return. So we stressed about it every year. This year it was actually a few days late, but they were OK with that because they reported having system problems. Ultimately they didn't award most of the merit aid until late July anyway because of their system problems, so I was more than a little frustrated.

 

I made a note in my calendar to do it Thanksgiving Week. We don't have any relatives coming this year, and I'm off all week from work.

Edited October 1, 2016 by G5052