HARRISBURG – Universities in PA’s State System of Higher Education or PASSHE are giving potential new students more time to review financial aid offers and make their decision to enroll. The extension will help to mitigate delays being experienced nationwide due to the U.S. Department of Education’s new Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, known as FAFSA. All 10 PASSHE universities either use rolling admissions to continuously review applications or are extending the deadline to at least May 15 for new students to commit to a college or university. The traditional deadline in the U.S. is May 1. PASSHE Chancellor Dan Greenstein said most of their students rely on financial aid to attend PASSHE universities, and those decisions should not be rushed. The extension gives students the time and flexibility to consider their financial aid options and make informed decisions. The U.S. Department of Education overhauled the FAFSA form this year, making it shorter and simpler for students, but the rollout has caused delays of five to six months. As a result, colleges and universities will not receive financial data from the FAFSA until mid-March. Higher education institutions, including PASSHE, use the data to determine the amount of financial aid to offer students.
