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California Moves to Extend Financial Aid Deadline Amid Federal Application Issues

Legislation fast-tracked to give students more time due to technical glitches with federal aid applications.

Prospective college applicants visit the California Student Aid Commission booth at College Information Day at UC Berkeley in Berkeley on Oct. 14, 2023. CSAC held informational sessions on financial aid to help inform students and their families about their options. Photo by Juliana Yamada for CalMatters
The U.S. Department of Education says it has fixed a software problem with the FAFSA system that prevented thousands of college students from submitting federal financial aid applications.

Overview

  • California lawmakers propose extending the state financial aid deadline from April 2 to May 2 to address technical issues with the federal aid application process.
  • The technical glitch affects students whose parents do not have Social Security numbers, preventing them from completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
  • Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes spearheads the bill, aiming to ensure affected students can access over $3 billion in state aid.
  • The glitch has generated significant concern among the higher education community, with more than 100,000 California students submitting a federal aid application without their parents' Social Security numbers last year.
  • The proposed extension has received backing from key advisors for the Legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom, as well as support from California's public colleges and universities.