A student walks on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City in April. (Erika Bolstad/Stateline)
Higher education hopefuls have faced stumbling blocks applying for and choosing schools this year. Various delays from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, meant that many had to postpone their school commitments and scholarship applications.
The Utah System of Higher Education is now offering help to families and students in the state to complete the FAFSA application with the help of a $300,000 award from the Educational Credit Management Corporation, a nonprofit that provides support in financing higher education.
With the funds, the state is planning on increasing its outreach efforts and online one-on-one support offerings on the Utah System of Higher Education’s FAFSA resources website, according to a news release.
Amid FAFSA delays Utah universities increase enrollment flexibility
“FAFSA funds are critical for many students to access higher education, and we are deeply grateful to the Department of Education and ECMC for this generous award,” Geoffrey Landward, commissioner of the higher education system said in the release. “With this funding, we can significantly expand our initiatives to help more students complete the FAFSA and successfully transition to college.”
FAFSA implemented a new application system in 2023, delaying its usual October rollout. Then, inflation numbers weren’t considered while calculating applicant’s net worths, causing more holdups.
The Educational Credit Management Corporation funds are part of the U.S. Department of Education initiative to direct up to $50 million to support organizations that search to expand college access and enrollment, the release reads. More resources are available at Ed.gov/better-FAFSA.
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