The Department of Education says it has finally started sending out FAFSA information to colleges after several months of delays.
Normally, FAFSA applications open Oct. 1. This year, that was pushed back to Dec. 31 due to hiccups with a new, simplified application.
Financial Aid Specialist at Penn State Lehigh Valley Scott Semerod says that's left many applicants and their parents stressed, waiting to see what aid will be offered to them, so that they can decide which school is the best fit.
"Penn State has offered scholarship opportunities to students for awards that do not require a completed FAFSA on file, unfortunately a majority of our awards do require a FAFSA to determine financial need," Semerod said.
"It's put pressure on us, we're planning for that pressure. We're making sure we're ready," said Dr. Lorna Hunter, Vice President for Enrollment Management at East Stroudsburg University.
Hunter says they're been giving students an estimation of what they can expect to pay, but can't yet offer an official financial aid award.
"Some students and families are really confused by just what they're hearing in snippets," Hunter said.
Even though the information is beginning to come in, it may still take some time to receive your official award letter.
"We're going to have to make sure that everything is correct in our system," Hunter said. "So that when we get the final award letters to our students, they're right."
"We are also here as a resource for the students. If they have questions I'm more than happy to answer them," Semerod said.
In order to accommodate the delay, some colleges have moved back the decision deadline from May 1. Both PSU and ESU moved back their deadline to May 15, but be sure to check with the schools you've applied to.
