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Spring is often filled with great anticipation for high school seniors — from receiving acceptance letters to announcing their college decisions. But for the more than 17 million students who rely on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), their aspirations have been met with uncertainty.

The Department of Education’s launch of the new FAFSA has put students and their families in limbo. With a delayed release date, software issues and a financial blunder, the department announced it wouldn’t process completed FAFSA applications and send them to schools until mid-March. High school seniors may have to wait anywhere from April to June to receive financial aid packages.

Without a precise financial aid offer, it’s difficult for students to make their final decision about their college of choice by May 1 (which has typically been National Decision Day). This particularly impacts lower-income and first-generation students. FAFSA information enables higher education institutions to compile accurate student financial aid packages.

US STUDENTS ARE PUTTING OFF COLLEGE DECISIONS DUE TO DELAY IN FINANCIAL AID APPLICATIONS

As a college president who is navigating through this issue, I understand the anxiety many students and their families are experiencing. For parents of high school seniors, here are five things I would encourage you to do concerning FAFSA.

17 million college students are caught trying to navigate delays in the FAFSA website, which slow the whole financial aid process.

Like students, higher education institutions are eager........

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