‘This year, FAFSA and the return of SAT requirements are affecting many students’ college applications—and they may impact you, too.
As many of you are already aware, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has been nothing short of a disaster this year. At ReadyEdgeGo, many of our Applications Advisors have coached our families through pain points of the new online FAFSA application. All we can do is give our best recommendations for a less than ideal situation.
Based on what we currently know, here are our best predictions for what to anticipate. We want you to have an idea how FAFSA and SAT requirements may impact you.
How FAFSA Impacts You
As universities receive FAFSA information from the Department of Education, students have started receiving admissions decisions. Bear in mind that decisions have been completely decontextualized from need-based aid. Therefore, merit-based aid is also likely to be impacted. Schools do not have a broader picture of how many students are receiving what kinds of aid.
Due to the challenges of filling out the application, much of the data received by schools may be incomplete or fragmented. If you know you need to issue corrections to your FAFSA, and were unable to make any edits after you submitted, check back to see if you can make corrections. This will greatly expedite the process for the universities you have applied to.
Colleges Are Pushing Back Commitment (SIR) Deadlines
Typically, the national SIR (Statement of Intent to Register) deadline is May 1. This is the deadline by which you must make a decision about which school to attend. Because of the FAFSA challenges, most universities are aware that you are unlikely to make the most informed decision because you may not have a full financial aid package picture. As a result, many schools have pushed back this deadline. UCs have moved to May 15. CSUs will accept SIR no earlier than May 15. And a handful of schools across the country are allowing families to make their decisions as late as June 1, 2024.
This will likely also cause some serious conflicts when it comes to making the decision to commit to any particular school. You may especially struggle if you’re unsure if one of those schools with a later deadline may come in with a financial package after another school’s SIR deadline. Expect some flexibility, especially in situations where you may come off a waitlist.
Colleges Are More Likely to Be Liberal with Waitlists
In order to more clearly understand the landscape of student need, expect to see more schools utilizing waitlists more liberally than in past years. Historically, waitlists have been a tool that many top universities use to control their yield expectations (how many students will commit vs the number of students admitted). Because financial aid is a key factor in how families make decisions to commit to one university over another, universities are using every tool at their disposal to control yield in an unpredictable year.
If you are seeing more waitlist decisions than you would like, keep in mind the bigger picture.
Colleges Are More Likely to Offer Financial Packages Well After Admissions Decisions
Many of you are probably incredibly excited to start weighing your options based on the decisions you have now. This is totally normal! However, please keep in mind that one of the biggest factors in making these decisions is the overall financial picture. This is a picture you may not immediately have for a majority of your schools.
As of March, only about ⅓ of eligible students had submitted their FAFSA applications. Typically, at that time of year, 70% of eligible students would have submitted their information. The landscape will continue to change as more admissions and financial aid offices across the country are flooded with a second wave of students who feel more confidence (or more pressure!) to submit.
The New York Times has a great article explaining the entire FAFSA situation, including how we got here and what to anticipate over the next few months. If you do not have a paid subscription to the New York Times, AP also has an informative article.
How the Return of the SAT Requirement Impacts You
If you have yet to apply to college, you may have seen renewed SAT requirements for many Tier 0 schools. Dartmouth, Brown, Yale, and UT Austin have announced they’re bringing back the SAT requirement for admissions moving forward. Until now, almost all schools (except a small handful of holdouts like MIT and CalTech) had moved to a test optional model.
Currently, there is a broader national conversation about whether eliminating SAT/ACT requirements evened the playing field for applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds. Data released by the schools that have announced the requirements suggest that test optional students perform more poorly than their counterparts who submitted these scores. Assume that with the return of the SAT requirement for the top schools, many schools–especially highly competitive ones–will follow suit.
Talk to your ReadyEdgeGo mentors to determine your best path forward.
The UCs and CSUs Continue to Be Test-Blind Schools
The UCs and the CSUs will likely continue to be test blind. The California public schools are strong proponents of eliminating barriers to application. If you are only planning on applying to California public schools, you will not need to take the test.
Challenges in Finding SAT Test Locations with the Digital Format
The SAT has rolled out a new digital version of the test that should make for an easier testing experience. However, seats are booking up fast. It may be difficult to find a testing center in your area prior to June. Check early and often for test locations and availability if you’re planning on applying to schools that require the test. Sometimes slots will open up at closer testing locations as the test dates approach. Our advice is to check daily.
Want to know more about how the FAFSA and SAT requirements may impact you personally? As always, ReadyEdgeGo is here to answer your questions! If you are a member, reach out to your mentor. If you are new or returning, schedule an initial consultation today!
