With delays resulting from complications on next year’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, EvCC students relying on this financial aid are nervous about when they will receive their money.
“I plan on taking classes in the summer and it makes me a bit worried,” said student Carol Lamoreaux.
The U.S. Department of Education attempted to make the entire FAFSA process easier for students and families to fill out, but ended up making everything more challenging. First, the form was three months behind schedule and was made accessible late December 2023. Glitches and errors in applying have not helped the situation, as nearly one million applications have the possibility of being affected by miscalculations. This has led to fewer students filing for federal student aid and has left those who have applied in a state of limbo.
“It was not open the day it said it was going to be open, so it was really hard doing it because I did set time aside to fill it out. In the past you’ve had to have your parents sign-in, but the fact that now they have had to take over and give permission and do all this stuff also made it a lot more complicated,” Lamoreaux said. “This year with everything switching up and changing the format, it just made it a lot harder.”
Alex Pope, another student affected by the delays, was told by the Financial Aid office to stay on top of the situation and that the office is making the FAFSA situation a priority.
“I think when it comes to our government, it becomes more and more opaque. It’s like every year… we know less and less about what’s going on and why there are problems and what the problems actually are,” Pope said.
According to the EvCC website, students will not be dropped from classes or student housing due to pending financial aid. This is only if the FAFSA form and required documents are submitted by the priority deadlines. The deadline for summer quarter was on April 26 and fall quarter’s deadline is June 7.
“A lot of people base what classes they’re going to sign up for based off how much aid they’re going to be getting,” Lamoreaux said. “The fact that people aren’t going to know how much aid they’re getting until the end of spring quarter, when classes for the summer quarter are already open to sign up for… increases the risk of people not being able to get the class they want, just because they don’t know their financial aid situation.”
“Not everybody can afford to put their money up front and then wait until they get the money and then just reimburse themselves,” Lamoreaux said.
“If you’re already signing up for classes, you really need that financial aid,” Pope said.
With registration for summer quarter classes beginning on May 21, the potential for a wave of worried and confused students is right around the corner.
“I think it is going to cause a lot of chaos… and it makes me a little concerned when I will get my FAFSA and if it will be in a timely manner,” Lamoreaux said.
