Universities are advising families not to procrastinate, as there is now a small extension for submitting financial aid applications.

The financial aid priority submission deadline for Arizona State University, University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University has been extended to May 1, 2024. Contact information for these universities can be found at admission.asu.edu, arizona.edu/admissions, and nau.edu/findmyrep.

The decision was made following the announcement by the U.S. Department of Education to postpone the distribution of students’ Free Application for Student Aid, commonly referred to as FAFSA.

The Department of Education has announced that higher education institutions can expect to receive applications in the initial weeks of March 2024, which may be a delay of approximately six weeks.

The Department of Education (DOE) recently launched an updated version of the FAFSA website with the goal of simplifying the process of applying for financial assistance for college.

Schools will be receiving information in March due to the delay. It is expected that it will take several weeks for them to review the information. According to experts, some students may not receive offers until April or May, which coincides with the deadlines for commitments at many schools.

According to a joint statement, once the Department of Education shares the FAFSA data with ASU, NAU, and UArizona, the teams from these schools will promptly collaborate to provide students and families with financial aid information. This will help them gain a better understanding of their cost of attendance and available financial assistance options.

The schools have extended the deadline for financial aid, but it is unclear if students will also have their decision deadlines extended.

It is highly recommended for families and students to still submit their applications for financial aid, but it is advised to avoid waiting until the deadline.