Some Helpful Updates to this Year’s FAFSA Application

ZANESVILLE, OH – This year’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid has been a challenge for many families across America.

The hope was to streamline the application process for students and their families but it’s created some setbacks.

Jake Burnett, the Director of Admission at Muskingum University, said they typically start to receive students’ FAFSA information around the middle of October.

But with the FAFSA opening up in December instead of October this year, Muskingum University only just started to receive students’ information.

“We’ve just started to receive our first group of FAFSAs on March 22nd.” Burnett said. “So, significant delays in receiving information, but it’s arrived. FAFSA information has arrived, we’ve started sending out our aid offers on April 5th.”

Burnett says there is also some more good news on the horizon for college students.

He said just this week the Government has opened the FAFSA if you need to make any changes to where aid will be going and so on.

Burnett also said this is the perfect time for students who may have been putting off filling out their application to get it submitted.

“It’s ready to go, finally the wait is over. Everything looks like it’s ready.” Burnett said. “The schools are receiving the information and students are able to update and send what they can. If there are any students or anyone who have been waiting to submit a FAFSA or waiting to even apply to colleges because they’re trying to figure all this out, now is the time.”

Burnett says Muskingum University doesn’t have a deadline set for students to turn in their FAFSA information.

He suggests calling your prospective schools’ financial aid office to see when their deadline will be.