There may be delays in financial aid distribution due to changes in Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the California Dream Act Application.
The Financial Aid and Scholarship Office addressed changes to FAFSA and the CADAA in an email to the campus community on Friday. These changes include delays in delivering financial aid application information to college campuses in the U.S.
For Chico State students, application data will not be received by the university until mid-March or later, the email states. This directly impacts Chico State’s ability to provide timely financial aid for the 2024-2025 school year.
These delays are a result of the FAFSA Simplification Act which was passed on Dec. 27, 2020.
The changes being made to FAFSA include the following:
- Replacing the Expected Family Contribution with the Student Aid Index
- Modifications to family definitions
- Expanded access to federal Pell grants
- Streamlining the FAFSA form
The 2024-25 CADAA includes some of the same changes being made to FAFSA. These changes were recommended by the Renewing the Dream report released earlier this year.
The Financial Aid and Scholarship Office reminded students in the email that this is a nationwide issue faced by all universities.
“We are committed to providing you with an award notification as soon as possible,” the email stated.
An agriculture education major, Alex Morales, who receives financial aid, said he thought it was insane when he found out it would be delayed.
However, Morales said he trusts that everything will work out, in regards to financial aid, and life in general.
Students are advised to complete a FAFSA or CADAA before April 2, and can use the Federal Student Aid Estimator to estimate their eligibility for financial aid.
Students can contact the Chico State Financial Aid and Scholarship Office at [email protected], or 530-898-6451, for questions or concerns.
Grace Stark can be reached at [email protected] or [email protected].
