The U.S. Department of Education says it recently updated a key part of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid formula, but, as a result, colleges won't receive FAFSA applicant information until early March, instead of late January as initially estimated.
"These continued delays, communicated at the last minute, threaten to harm the very students and families that federal student aid is intended to help," said Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
At launch, the new FAFSA relied on old consumer price index figures from 2020, before the recent runup in inflation.
Just last week, the Department of Education said it planned to update this part of the new FAFSA formula, which will mean an additional $1.8 billion in aid for college-bound students this year.
That update has now been completed, the Department of Education said Tuesday, and, as a result, 1.3 million students will see larger Pell Grants, a type of aid available to low-income families.
Persons:
Justin Draeger, TikTok Biden
Organizations:
U.S . Department of Education, Federal, Aid, Department, National Association of Student Financial, Finance, Department of Education
Locations:
Pell