Amid all of the challenges facing college students this year due to COVID-19 related closings and cancellations, one of the major considerations for those already enrolled, or in the process of enrolling, is financial aid.
At this point in the school year, continuing students and incoming freshmen are in the process of filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or have already completed the application.
Some institutions had early deadlines, and others have a cutoff of May 1, although a number of colleges have announced delays because of the global health emergency. According to Dr. James Applegate, visiting professor at Illinois State University’s Center for the Study of Education Policy, there is a need for involvement from the federal level to allow the FAFSA information to be updated.
“For many of the students there probably has been a change in their families’ financial situations in the last couple of months and I think there needs to be a streamlined process in which they can, if they have already applied, update that information,” Applegate told Diverse, adding that all financial aid determinations should be “based on the status of the family during and post-COVID.” He added that consideration should be given to the fact that not all households have internet access.
Bill DeBaun, director of data and evaluation at the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), told Diverse that, based on his organization’s tracking of FAFSA completion, the rates were already lower than last year, and “starting March 20th, the first data week after states started closing schools, we did see quite a sharp decline in FAFSA completions across the country.” DeBaun added that “there are a lot of things that can affect FAFSA completion, but the big-ticket item here is coronavirus and statewide school closures.”
Both DeBaun and Applegate are concerned that the students who have not completed the applications are those who need financial aid most, students from lower-income households and first-generation college enrollees. “These students are most likely to be eligible for Pell grants, so it represents a major problem of access that affects not only students,” DeBaun said. “It’s also a challenge institutionally when the Pell grant is the cornerstone of their financial aid packages.”
DeBaun notes that his organization, NCAN, recently published a five-step guide to help high school seniors transition to two-year and four-year institutions. It contains a link to a list of COVID-19 resources for students and their families.
