To Our Community:

Today, we received a new update from the US Department of Education about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): there will be further delays in the typical process, which, according to the National College Access Network, will cause aid offer letters to arrive four months behind schedule.

The delay will cut down the amount of time that students have to compare aid offers from the colleges that they have been accepted to, contest aid offers if they need more funds, and submit all required commitment materials before the May 1 deadline. For low-income students, it is essential to have financial aid information in the college decision process, as they need to determine if they can afford to attend their top choice school, whether they will need to identify additional scholarship funds, whether they will need to work during college, whether they will be able to live on campus, etc.

At this time, we want to assure our 12th grade students, our current college students, our families, and our community that we will be here to help our financial aid applicants every step of the way. We will continue working with each student on a case-by-case basis. We will continue information sharing with college, government, and community partners. And we will continue to advocate for systems and processes that better serve our students.

In addition to delays, there has been much confusion as the online form has been retooled and improved. Furthermore, new application requirements are creating challenges for families with mixed status. Our team has already been working tirelessly to address these challenges and assist our students. We will continue to advocate for our students and — between financial aid, grants, and scholarships — we will help every one of our families to afford college.

We’d like to thank our community for your ongoing support of our students and families. Together, we will ensure that our youth can achieve their college goals and become first-generation graduates.

Sincerely,
Tamara Y. Craver, President & CEO
& Rosa María Hernández, Vice President of Programs