As the Spring 2024 semester begins, many students are grappling with the delay of this year’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid. 

This FAFSA application determines a student’s eligibility for loans and scholarships, which is usually decided months in advance. The 2024 academic year, however, has caused students and families stress over their financial ability come next semester. 

Staff shortages and technical difficulties have caused delays in the launch of the  2024 FAFSA form. For the new year, FAFSA changed its application process by marketing it as a more simple process for students and families.  

“It was supposed to be a more streamlined process, and when doing that it seems like something else went awry,” said Ellie Hansen, an academic advisor for the College of Communication and Information.

This delay has not only affected many students’ and families’ financial constraints but also scholarship deadlines. Many FAFSA forms took longer than expected to launch and when finally resolved, a lot of forms still had multiple complications that further delayed scholarship applications. 

“Many scholarships require FAFSA to be filed, so to give students more time, CCI has pushed back their scholarship deadlines to March 15, 2024,” Hansen said. 

The concern now is that students may not be aware of this delay. 

“We as a staff are nervous because of the degree of students not aware of this delay,” Hansen said.

To meet deadlines for scholarships, students should stay in the loop about important updates and deadlines.

Students with financial aid questions can contact One-Stop for Student Services. One Stop provides resources Monday through Friday by appointment, through its website and by phone at (330) 672-6000.

Sydney Graham is a reporter. Contact her at S[email protected].