LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Coronado High School senior Zihan Wang just got accepted into Stanford University for the Fall 2024 class.
Wang should be celebrating but he's left worrying.
"As a first generation, low-income student, one of the most important things in this college admission process isn't admission. It's more how to afford the college I will be attending," Wang said.
Wang currently juggles classes, after school clubs, and tutoring multiple students.
Right now, he doesn't know how much the true cost of his freshman year at college will be. Wang is one of millions of students across the country in limbo because of delays in the free application for financial student aid or FAFSA.
"I don't even know when I'm going to actually hear how much grant I'm going to get or how much aid," Wang told me. "If we can't afford an institution, I'm definitely going to reconsider it."
The U.S. Department of Education recently overhauled the FAFSA process. It was meant to be easier and simpler. However, the electronic rollout has been problematic.
"The whole process is taking longer than we hoped for," said Jose Quiroga, a research analyst for the Nevada System of Higher Education.
Typically, the FAFSA portal opens every Oct. 1. However, the 2024-2025 form opened on Dec. 30. And then, students were repeatedly locked out by technical glitches.
The mess-up has prevented many students from completing their applications. According to the Department of Education, less than 20% of the total amount of students who typically apply for financial aid have submitted their forms, as of the end of February.
About 17 million students submit FAFSA applications every year, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The delays could set off a domino effect impacting college enrollment.
"We do expect this delay will make it harder for students to determine what their costs will be and to make their decisions to go to college," Quiroga said.
Currently, Quiroga said Nevada higher education institutions are working with thousands of students on extending deadlines.
For Wang, who is slated to attend Stanford University in the fall, it continues to be a waiting game.
"It's a huge issue because that's going to determine what we're going to do for the next four years and that's going to determine our future," Wang said.
Students are encouraged to fill out their FAFSA as soon as possible. They should also contact their university's financial aid office for any help with the process and extending deadlines.
There is a FAFSA night workshop Thursday night at the Strong Future Technology Training Center at 330 Washington Ave. at 6 p.m.
