It's hard to believe that in just a few short weeks students and faculty will be returning to campus (we start school early in the South!). Every new school year has its challenges, but for the Class of 2017, there are several changes that will impact their college admissions process.
I will address these changes one by one over the next few weeks, but today I want to talk about the 2017-18 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Beginning this school year, the FAFSA will begin accepting applications on October 1, 2016 rather than the traditional January 1. Ideally families will be able to get their financial aid information much earlier, thus allowing them more time to compare financial aid packages. At this point, we do not expect college application deadlines to change nor should you expect all colleges to make financial aid offers at the same time. This is a new system and a new process, so most likely nothing will be uniform.
One of the major benefits of the earlier deadline is that families will be able to input their 2015-16 tax information rather than wait on their 2016-17 information. That may not benefit everyone the same, but at least you will be able to use your completed tax info instead of speculating on what it might be.
For your information, I am attaching a fact sheet published by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), but we also hope you will join us for our Financial Aid Program on Monday, September 12 at 6:30. Our speaker, Michael Morgan, Director of Financial Aid at Rhodes College, will go over the new FAFSA changes and answer your questions about the application process. We particularly hope that seniors and especially their parents will attend!
Stay tuned for more information regarding the FAFSA and other college application changes.
