LOCKPORT, N.Y. — When Lockport High School senior Samantha Haley found out she might be joining her sister at Niagara University next fall, she was ecstatic.
But when she found out there was still no clear date for when she’d receive her financial aid package, her reaction was a little different.
“It's very stressful not knowing what I'm going to receive, and that's pushing my decision back further,” Haley said.
This week, the U.S. Department of Education announced that colleges and universities across the country would now not be receiving Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) information until March, a significant delay from the expected January date.
Now, students are not expecting to receive their packages until April, just weeks before the May 1 National College Decision Day when most universities require a deposit.
The delay followed complications with a new Congress-mandated FAFSA form aimed at simplifying the process and shortening the application.
In reality, it led to an error in FAFSA’s student aid calculations, which said some families’ incomes were higher than they really are — which would have caused them to receive less aid.
“It's kind of a domino effect,” said Niagara University Director of Aid Katie Kocsis. “It’s still going to take us three-to-four weeks to put all those packages together.”
Some universities like Niagara University say they plan to be more flexible on that May 1 deposit deadline to accommodate the delay. But not all have decided yet.
As a result, students like Haley are left waiting for some news with a major life decision on the horizon.
“I just want to see a straight line ahead of me and just know," she said.