Atlanta college-bound students in limbo due to FAFSA financial aid delays

February 13th, 2024

In this Friday, April 12, 2019 photo, people enter the campus of Morehouse College in Atlanta. (Mike Stewart/AP Photo)

Parents and college-bound students are typically stressed out this time of year – with many awaiting decisions and financial aid from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Federal aid unlocks a kind of grant program treasure chest for students. This year, however, that process is delayed.

This occurs as the U.S. Department of Education fixes an error in the FAFSA application that would have cost lower-income students more money.

The department takes student FAFSA information and sends that data to schools. The date ensures that colleges and universities can get financial aid offers out to students. But now, the department won’t be sending students’ FAFSA data to schools until the first half of March.

Decisions won’t come for many until early April.

Descatur “Des” Potier, Morehouse College’s Executive Director of Undergrad Admissions, Recruitment and Strategic Partnerships, sat down with WABE’s “Morning Edition” to discuss the HBCU perspective. Although Morehouse is a private institution and is far from treading water like public colleges and universities, Potier said the school has had its share of concerned families having to make difficult decisions to put college on hold, or to send one student versus another.

Above all, Potier tells WABE, the college is just trying to be transparent.

Lily Oppenheimer contributed to this report.