However, with a sticker price of nearly $80,000 per year, including tuition, fees, and room and board, Montiel-García, like many college hopefuls, needed financial aid to bring the cost down. Because of problems with the new form, financial aid award letters were delayed and some high school seniors, like Montiel-García, had trouble applying for any aid at all. In previous years, financial aid award letters were sent out at about the same time as admission letters, meaning students had several weeks to compare offers ahead of National College Decision Day, the deadline for most admitted students to decide on a college. Because of the extensive delays this year, some students won't get their final financial aid award letter until the end of August, the U.S. Department of Education said in a recent update. The high school graduate from Riverdale Park, Maryland, secured enough additional funding from the Maryland College Aid Processing System to afford his top choice school: Towson University.

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Persons: Ramon Montiel, García Ramon Montiel, Montiel, García, —, NCAN, Laura Ipsen, Eric Greenberg, Andrea Garcia, Garcia, Emory doesn't, Mark Kantrowitz, Greenberg, mani Murphy, Murphy Organizations: KIPP, Denver Leadership Academy, Colorado ., KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy, Wheaton College, Federal Student Aid, Wheaton, University of Colorado, National College, Greenberg Educational Group, U.S . Department of Education, Emory University, Education Department, Riverdale, Maryland College, Towson University Locations: García, Colorado, Massachusetts, U.S, Montiel, Denver, New York, Atlanta, Ky, Riverdale Park , Maryland, Towson