As of late January, about 700,000 seniors had completed applications, down from roughly 1.5 million applicants the same time last year, according to the National College Attainment Network’s analysis of Education Department data.
The rollout stands to be one of the biggest shocks to college admissions in decades, administrators said. Financial-aid packages may not go out until after the date students are normally expected to put down deposits. Some schools have already pushed back the deadline to accept offers of admissions, and more are expected to follow suit.
“Everyone wants answers. Everyone wants to know how and when. And we don’t have answers,” said Mj Huebner, vice president of admission and financial aid at Kalamazoo College. The school told applicants they won’t have to commit until June 1, a month later than usual.
The Government Accountability Office launched an investigation into this year’s Fafsa rollout, following a request from Republican lawmakers.
The Fafsa is used to apply for federal grants and loans. Applications usually open Oct. 1. Half of high-school seniors complete it between then and the end of December. Some schools give out aid packages as early as November. This year, the form wasn’t available until the end of December, and even then families didn’t have full access until January, though families still have time to apply.