The FAFSA deadline for college financial aid is June 30

The Covid-19 pandemic and the economic shock that followed have made it difficult for many parents and students to afford college.

But even fewer families applied for financial support this year.

The Free State Student Aid Application (FAFSA) serves as access to all federal funding, including loans, student traineeships, and scholarships, which are the most desirable type of support.

If you still need financial assistance for the 2020-21 academic year, June 30th is the last day families can submit the FAFSA.

In other words, you can still complete a FAFSA right now and receive a Pell scholarship for the past academic year. (Students worried about the upcoming 2021-22 semester can apply until June 30, 2022, although it is better to submit your grant application as soon as possible.)

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In June, the number of applications fell 5% year over year, with just over half of all high school graduates applying, according to the National College Attainment Network.

“The decline in FAFSA is really worrying,” said Bill DeBaun, director of data and evaluation for the National College Attainment Network.

“People don’t skip attending FAFSA because they have all the money they need to go to college,” he said.

Research shows that low-income students, color students, and first-generation students are hardest hit by the Covid pandemic. The FAFSA numbers suggest that some of these would-be students have left college entirely.

“We shouldn’t worry, not because students can’t go back on a post-secondary path, just so many won’t,” DeBaun said.

In normal years, high school graduates miss billions in federal grants for not completing the FAFSA. Many families mistakenly assume that they are not eligible for financial assistance and do not even bother to apply.

Others say that a lengthy and overly complicated application is a major hurdle.

Congressional education leaders have worked to simplify the FAFSA, which would go a long way toward improving access.

The Corporate Funds Act was passed in December to streamline the process. These changes should come into effect in the academic year 2023/24.

However, earlier this month the Department of Education told Congress that the simplification process would have to be postponed until the 2024-25 school year. The 12-month delay is due to the technology upgrades required to complete the changes, the Department of Education said.

At the same time, the tuition fees are increasing.

Tuition and fees plus room and board for a four-year private college averaged $ 50,770 for the 2020-21 school year; It was $ 22,180 at four-year state colleges, according to the College Board, which tracks trends in college awards and student grants.

For families who have already filed the FAFSA but have since suffered a financial shock, it is also possible to change their FAFSA form or contact the Financial Bureau, according to Kalman Chany, a financial aid advisor and author of The Princeton College support to ask for more help review “Paying for College.”

Colleges are likely to be open to callings, he said – especially now.

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source https://collegeeducationnewsllc.com/the-fafsa-deadline-for-college-financial-aid-is-june-30/