UK extends enrollment deadline due to FAFSA delays. What students need to know
The University of Kentucky has extended its deadline for students to confirm their enrollment for the fall semester because of financial aid delays, the university announced Tuesday.
Nationally, changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) have caused delays in students receiving their financial aid offers from universities. At the University of Kentucky, students will now have until May 15, instead of May 1, to confirm their enrollment for the fall 2024 semester.
“We understand that students must make informed decisions about their college choice and that includes fully understanding the cost of attendance. To that end, we feel extending the confirmation deadline is in the best interest of our students,” said Christine Harper, UK’s Chief Enrollment Officer. “We strive to put students first in everything that we do. Extending the deadline underscores our commitment to students, who through no fault of their own, are receiving important financial aid information much later than ever before.”
UK is still waiting for additional FAFSA data for processing, the university said. Financial aid notifications are expected to be sent to students at the end of April.
“UK will closely monitor other deadlines that may be impacted by this extension, including the housing application deadline, which remains June 1,” the university said.
Students and families with questions about financial aid can contact UK’s Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships at osfas@uky.edu.
The FAFSA, which students complete to apply for financial aid from institutions and states, traditionally opens each year on October 1. But the simplified version “soft-launched” in late December 2023, putting the process months behind schedule. Completion rates of the FAFSA are significantly down in high schools across Kentucky compared to last year.
Last month, the U.S. Department of Education said it was expecting to complete processing of 6 million FAFSA forms by the end of March. Traditionally, FAFSA forms have been processed months earlier, allowing students to receive their financial aid offers from colleges earlier in the year.
In February, Northern Kentucky University announced it would move the deadline for incoming freshmen to accept their financial aid offers from May 1 to June 1 this year because of FAFSA delays.