Iowa State's financial aid and admissions teams continue to assist students and adjust deadlines in response to ongoing delays with the revised Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.
In a typical year, incoming first-year students would have received their financial aid offers in early February. Student financial aid director Chad Olson said it likely will be mid- to late April before students receive offers this year. The timing will depend on when Iowa State -- and other colleges and universities -- receive FAFSA information from the U.S. Department of Education, which is expected in mid-March.
"We know incoming students are waiting for this information to make their decision, and we plan to send out aid offers as quickly as possible," Olson said. "Last year, we processed more than 40,000 FAFSAs -- around 14,000 for incoming students -- so the process does take time."
Admissions has adjusted its cancellation date from May 1 to May 20 to give incoming first-year students additional time to make a decision after receiving their financial aid offer. This is the date up to which students can receive a partial refund on their $425 acceptance fee if they decide to not attend Iowa State. Executive director of admissions Katharine Johnson Suski said her team continues to provide updates for incoming students and encourages them to continue with the enrollment process.
"We know this is a challenging time for students and we want them to feel confident in their decision, which is why we extended the cancelation date," Johnson Suski said. "Incoming students who plan on attending Iowa State should move forward with housing contracts and registering for orientation as they wait for their financial aid offers, knowing they can withdraw with a partial refund if their financial aid offer doesn't meet their family's needs."
Due to the ongoing delays, financial aid also had extended its priority date for students to complete the FAFSA form to Feb. 29. Student financial aid and several colleges also extended deadlines for scholarship applications through OneApp.
A resources page and FAQ about the FAFSA Simplification Act has been posted to Iowa State's student financial aid website. Students and their families also can find information and updates for common issues related to the revised FAFSA on the Federal Student Aid Alerts website.
