In response to repeated delays with the U.S. Department of Education’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), Marietta College has extended the deadline for its enrollment deposit to June 1.
Marietta’s Vice President for Enrollment Management Heidi Terry said the decision to move the deadline one month was necessary to help take the pressure off families and students who are dealing with this disruption as they navigate the college decision-making process.
The U.S. Department of Education announced this week that colleges will not receive students’ financial aid data from the FAFSA until at least the middle of March. The online FAFSA application didn’t open until late December, almost two months later than normal, because of a major overhaul by the Department of Education.
Even after colleges begin receiving data, it will still take Marietta College and other institutions several weeks to process financial aid packages for individual students accurately.
“We will work quickly, but we must be thorough and take the appropriate amount of time to process the information,” Terry said. “We also want to ensure that we do not rush our students and their family members and provide them the time to make the best-informed decision.”
Terry added, “By extending the deadline one month, it also provides sufficient time for our families to fully appreciate the financial aid offer and the direct costs of attending Marietta College. It also allows them to visit our beautiful campus again and connect with their admission counselor or a financial aid representative.”
Should any prospective student or family have questions about this year’s financial aid process, they are encouraged to contact Marietta College’s Admission Office at 1-800-331-7896 or admit@marietta.edu.