The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education has pushed back the priority deadline for the state’s largest financial aid program from May 1 to July 1 — allowing students more time as they scramble to sort through the messy rollout of federal updates to the financial aid application.
“Our message to students and families continues to remain the same: fill out the FAFSA as soon as possible,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega. “This year’s extended deadline responds to feedback from students, campuses and other partners about this year’s unique challenges with FAFSA completion. We want students to know there are significant financial aid dollars available for those who qualify, and that persevering through completing the FAFSA is worth it.”
The extension allows students attending private and public higher education institutions more time to fill out the FAFSA form and receive state financial aid through the MASSGrant program.
The move follows the Biden Administration’s call for states to extend their FAFSA deadlines. The administration changed the financial aid application this year with a slew of changes including those to eligibility calculations — allowing an estimated 600,000 more students to qualify for Pell Grants — and procedures for packaging financial aid.
Delays and glitches in the updated form’s rollout has left many families behind in getting their FAFSA submitted — then often corrected and resubmitted — and mass confusion officials and families have called “chaos” and a “catastrophe.” A U.S. House education subcommittee held hearings on the botched launch last week, and the Government Accountability Office is currently investigating the update process.
As of Mar. 29, 40% fewer high school students had completed FAFSA compared to the same date in 2023, the U.S. Department of Education reported.
Massachusetts is joining a list of several states that have extended the deadline, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Maryland, Mississippi and California. Many private and public colleges around the country have also pushed back deposit and financial aid deadlines to allow students time to sort out their FAFSA.
“We all want students and families to have the time they need to consider their financial options before making enrollment decisions,” the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and nine other national education organizations wrote in a letter urging colleges to extends the deadline and citing the precedent for FAFSA extensions set during the pandemic.
Many state legislators applauded the administration’s move to allow students more time. State House Speaker Ron Mariano said the impact will be most felt by “students most in need of financial support to make college a reality.”
The Healey administration updates the MASSGrant program in November to allow Pell Grant eligible students free tuition to Massachusetts public colleges and universities and cut the tuition and fees in half for students whose families make between $73,000 and $100,000 annually.
“With FAFSA delays, this has been a challenging year for all students but particularly for those that attend state universities as so many of them are first generation to college,” said Salem State University President John Keenan. “The MASSGrant extension will provide families with a clearer picture of how they can obtain their bachelor’s degree, a dream within reach for many.”
State officials urged students to complete their FAFSA applications as soon as possible, noting that students who qualify for the state’s MASSGrant state aid program who file by July 1 are guaranteed to receive the aid. Students who cannot file FAFSA because of their immigration status may fill out the Massachusetts version MASFA to receive state aid.
