FAFSA delays are once again disrupting college admissions and financial-aid timelines, creating new challenges for institutions as they prepare for the 2025 cycle. The latest wave of processing issues is forcing colleges and universities to rethink how they communicate affordability, build aid packages, and support students who rely on early financial clarity.

FAFSA Delays Again and Here’s Why

According to new reports from NASFAA and AACRAO, financial-aid offices across the country are experiencing delays tied to staffing shortages at the Department of Education, system changes, and unanticipated data-processing slowdowns. Several institutions have stated they may not receive Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) until mid-December—or later—delaying award packages that usually go out weeks earlier.

For admissions and financial-aid teams, the holdups could have cascading effects on student decision-making, enrollment patterns, and equity initiatives that rely on early financial clarity.

How the Delays Are Affecting Institutions

Without timely FAFSA data, colleges are struggling to:

• Develop accurate financial-aid packages
• Communicate affordability with prospective students
• Update net price estimates and scholarship models
• Project enrollment yield
• Maintain standard decision timelines

Some institutions have already signaled they will push back priority deadlines or offer provisional aid estimates to prevent losing students to competitor institutions with more predictable timelines.

A NASFAA survey found that many campuses are also facing increased call volume, staff burnout, and confusion among students and families who expected faster turnaround under recent federal system reforms.

Impact on Students and Families

For students—especially low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented applicants—the delays increase uncertainty about where they can afford to enroll. High school counselors report that more seniors are deferring decisions or applying to additional institutions as financial clarity becomes harder to predict.

Institutions warn that prolonged delays may disproportionately harm students who rely on Pell Grants and need early financial information to make decisions.

What Campus Leaders Can Do Now

To manage the disruption, experts recommend:

• Communicating proactively with applicants and families
• Offering estimated aid packages when possible
• Extending deposit or priority deadlines
• Coordinating closely with state agencies and high school counselors
• Preparing flexible yield strategies for spring

Clear communication will be critical, as uncertainty has become a defining feature of this year’s financial-aid cycle.