Hawaii students, parents grappling with delays amid botched FAFSA rollout

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Thousands of Hawaii students are being forced to wait on making college decisions because of delays in financial aid.

The U.S. government made it easier to apply for college aid this year with a simpler Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA.

It has fewer questions and expands eligibility, but students are waiting longer for their applications to be processed. What used to take days is now taking weeks, even months.

That means families are bearing the brunt of the botched rollout. FAFSA is used to assess a student’s eligibility for federal and state grants, scholarships and work-study programs.

Colleges and students hit hard by FAFSA delays

“It wasn’t ready and it doesn’t work. And we are still dealing with glitches,” said Frank Green, who handles financial aid outreach for the University of Hawaii-West Oahu.

“Going to college for a lot of these families, it’s just a big deal to begin with. There’s so much involved in this and the pressure and the anxiety and the panic attacks that happen. And now you want to complicate it by giving them a FAFSA that doesn’t work and delaying it to the point where they have no idea what type of assistance they’re going to be eligible for,” he said.

“We’re going to have families and students who throw up their hands and say, I quit. We’re going to lose those kids. And that’s just inexcusable.”

To ease concerns, the state set up a hotline to answer questions.

For many students, the college they choose will depend on how much free money they’re offered.

“We’re all just waiting on our packages back,” said Antonio Miguel Vite, a graduating senior at Waipahu High School. “Thankfully, a lot of colleges push back their decision state decision days, like to June, instead of the usual May, which is very helpful.”

Vite hopes to get aid to help with an $80,000 a year bill for Chapman University. The cheaper option — $9,000 at UH Hilo.

Senior Jarvia Crecia Agbayani is figuring out how she can pay $72,000 a year to go to UC San Diego.

“With the UC schools, it’s pretty difficult to get financial aid from them, because they do prioritize California residents, which is understandable. So I’m mainly focusing on applying to a lot of outside scholarships that our college center does help us with,” she said.

While waiting for financial aid letters, experts suggest students apply to various sources of free money, like subscription database Scholarship Owl. Loans should be a last resort.

“Focus on making an affordable path for yourself working while you’re in school, different part-time and then working full-time during the summer, focus on scholarships, focus on choosing schools that are less expensive, and focus on attaining the education you need,” said Jennifer Finetti, director of student advocacy at ScholarshipOwl.

If you can, start early and graduate on time.

Earning an associate’s degree in high school can help you save at least a year of college tuition.

“If I go to Chapman, it would be three years, I only have to go there for my bachelor’s. But if I stay in UH system, it’s definitely only two years, maybe even less,” Vite said.

Once you get your financial aid offer, consider negotiating for more or leveraging another school’s offer.

“Let’s say you ask and they say no, it doesn’t mean they’re going to rescind their financial aid offer, and they’re certainly not going to rescind your offer of admission. So literally, it doesn’t hurt at all to ask,” Finetti said.

If you need help financing college, email FAFSA@Hawaii.edu or call the FAFSA Hawaiʻi Hotline (808) 842-2540. It’s open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through May 31, 2024.

The deadline to file a FAFSA is June 30, 2024.

The state also offers free college financing webinars each week. The next one is March 28 at 6 p.m. Register at collegeiswithinreachhawaii.com.

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