FAFSA delays impacting prospective students at Texas Tech, other Lubbock area schools
As high school seniors wrap up their final months before walking across the stage, many are left in the dark about where they will attend college in the fall semester due to financial aid application delays.
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Education delayed the annual opening of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid — commonly known as FAFSA — from October to December as it rolled out a more streamlined and stress-free application.
However, the application is causing headaches as millions of applications are facing delays being given to students' universities, which helps it determine how much financial aid that student requires.
"We have many anxious students and families who are unable to make informed decisions about their college choice without knowing about their financial aid eligibility," said Christy Miller, executive director of the Office of Financial Aid at Wayland Baptist University.
"Without any solid dates from the U.S. Department of Education throughout this entire process — first with FAFSA open date and now (Institutional Student Information Record) release date — we have struggled to keep students engaged," Miller said.
As the uncertainty grows, here is what local universities and colleges have to say about how they are helping students navigate these unprecedented times.
20,000 incoming Texas Tech University students impacted by FAFSA delays
As the largest higher education institution in the region, with over 40,000 students enrolled every fall semester, Texas Tech has a challenge ahead of it.
Mary Booker, assistant vice president of Financial Aid & Scholarships at Texas Tech, said the university has extended its enrollment decision deadline until June 1.
"We don't know when the FAFSAs are going to come through. The (federal government) start really releasing small batches this week," Booker said. "We're getting seven here, 10 there, which is nothing compared to the 20,000 students who are looking at Tech."
Booker said the university hopes to have the majority of the FAFSAs in by the end of the month, but that doesn't consider rejected ISERs or miscalculated ones, which leads to even more delays for students.
"We're going to be here to support them through that process as an institution," Booker said. "We will make sure they, as best we can, are being taken care of. So we're encouraging them not to delay but to go ahead and move forward with their plans to enroll."
Students can reach TTU's Financial Aid Office at 806-742-3681 or by email at finaid.advisor@ttu.edu.
FAFSA delays causing adverse effects at Lubbock Christian University
“FAFSA delays have adversely impacted families with college-bound students who are applying for and selecting a college, and Lubbock Christian University has made adjustments to help those families navigate the process,” said Jody Reding, vice president for Enrollment Management at LCU.
With the university's rolling admission process, Reding said students will be able to accept their offer of admission after May 1.
Scholarships like LCU's West Texas Promise and the LCU Guarantee will not have deadlines for qualifying students.
"To maximize scholarship opportunities for incoming students, every entering freshman who submits a completed FAFSA and enrolls full-time will be eligible for additional institutional scholarships," Reding said. "We are here to walk with families as they navigate the new FAFSA process."
Students can reach LCU's Financial Assistance Office at 806-720-7176 or at Financial.Assist@LCU.edu.
Wayland Baptist University under pressure from FAFSA delays
Wayland said there is no deadline for students to decide whether to attend the university. However, that does not mean FAFSA delays are not impacting them.
"We are, however, feeling pressure from the students who are considering schools who do have a May 1 confirmation deadline that has not been extended," Miller said. "They are feeling a sense of urgency to make a decision but without all the information about their financial aid eligibility available to them."
Miller also said the university has kept returning students—who are also impacted by FAFSA delays—abreast of what has been going on, but most are behaving along the "status quo" when they decide to return in the fall semester.
Students with any more questions or concerns can contact the university's financial aid office in Plainview at 806-291-3520 or finaidhelp@wbu.edu.
South Plains College sees normalcy amid FAFSA delays
While over 50% of South Plains College students rely on some level of federal funding — like the Pell Grant — Stan DeMerritt, vice president for Student Affairs at SPC, said the college does not see any significant impact from FAFSA delays.
"We believe that FAFSA delays have delayed our ability to notify students about how much aid that they could receive if they attend," DeMerritt said. "However, the amount of time to decide has not really been impacted."
As a community college, DeMerritt said SPC has a different student population compared to that of a university.
"Typically, community colleges don't receive a lot of applications or commitments until you get toward the end of the spring term, primarily due to the fact that we're dealing with students who are rather unsure of what they want to do, or what fields they want to go into," DeMerritt said.
Students are being directed to call the Financial Aid Office at (806) 716-2100 or email finaid@southplainscollege.edu.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech, other universities seeing impact from FAFSA delays
