Students across the country are grappling with financial stress as delays in Federal Student Aid payments continue. This widespread issue compounds the difficulties students face as they start the new school year, particularly in covering costs for books and other essential expenses.
According to Mikki Johnson, director of Financial Aid, Fresno City College has claimed that it has not experienced delays in Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) payments.
Typically, millions of college students begin the FAFSA process on Oct. 1 each year.
Due to the introduction of a new FAFSA form last year, students only gained access to the form in early December, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The department also stated that the new form was intended to simplify the process for students and their families.
“When students and families fill out the better FAFSA form, they will find that applying for college financial aid is simpler, easier, and faster than ever before,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a press release dated Nov. 15, 2023.
Despite these improvements, some FCC students are still waiting for their FAFSA payments weeks into the new semester, experiencing considerable financial strain.
The new form requires contributors to consent to having their IRS information directly imported into the FAFSA, a change from previous years when using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool was optional. This modification has led to some financial aid applications being reprocessed due to inconsistent tax data, resulting in delays in FAFSA payments.
Students who rely on financial aid to cover essential academic expenses are now feeling the impact of these delays firsthand.
Ivan Heredia, a first-generation student at FCC majoring in criminology, has yet to receive his FAFSA payment.
“It has been difficult to get some supplies that I need, especially for classes that require me to go out and create projects and other activities,” Heredia said.
Last year, FCC student Reagan Bardey, a psychology major, faced similar issues.
“I felt really lucky that I got it before the semester started because I needed that money for a lot of supplies that I didn’t even know I would need,” Bardey said. “I wasn’t lucky last semester; I had to wait a whole month, so I know how that is.”
Delayed funding to colleges also means that any refunds owed to students are postponed, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Education.
Financial aid disbursement dates vary by school but generally occur between 10 days before the semester starts and 30 days after classes begin, the department’s website also states.
Johnson addressed concerns about delays specific to her institution.
“There has not been a delay in financial aid disbursements to our students. We were on track to disburse for our first disbursement for the fall semester, which was Aug. 8,” Johnson said.
She highlighted improvements in disbursement this year compared to last.
For the first two disbursements of the year on Aug. 8 and Aug. 15, a total of $9.4 million was distributed, which was $2.4 million more than the previous year, Johnson said. In fall of 2023, the college distributed $6.9 million in the first two rounds of payments, Johnson added.
Johnson also noted that the new FAFSA simplification has led to more students being eligible for financial aid.
“One of the things the Department of Education explained with this new FAFSA simplification was that more students will be eligible, and that’s what we are seeing, more students are eligible for financial aid,” Johnson said.
For those still awaiting payments, Johnson clarified what may be creating those delays.
“There are students who are having difficulty even submitting their application. However, there are other students who have submitted their application, but their file remains incomplete because they have not submitted their documentation to our office to complete their file,” Johnson explained.
