PITTSBURGH 鈥� Some local high school graduates remain in limbo with their college plans, as problems with the federal student aid process persist.
Channel 11 previously reported on the various issues students nationwide have faced, after FAFSA, standing for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, was overhauled.
鈥淭hey just say it鈥檚 delayed, and then it鈥檚 delayed… You don鈥檛 really know when, specifically, you鈥檙e going to get that back,鈥� said Brandon Brazell, 18, of McKees Rocks.
As of mid-June, Brazell still hasn鈥檛 received all of the necessary aid information he needs in order to commit to a college.
鈥淚鈥檓 not gonna make a rash decision on where I want to go if I can鈥檛 afford it. Affording it is a big piece for us,鈥� he said.
The recent graduate hopes to play baseball in college, and some coaches have already told him he鈥檚 missed the cut by not committing.
He鈥檚 narrowed down his choices and hopes to be able to make a final decision soon.
鈥淚 feel like it鈥檚 of course unfair, but you gotta just look at the positives of it. I mean, maybe I would have made a bad decision if I would have made a decision earlier, but… You don鈥檛 know.鈥�
He said most of the schools he鈥檚 applied to have pushed back their commitment dates.
The FAFSA problem has proved challenging for schools, too. Experts have predicted 鈥渃atastrophic鈥� college declines because of the troubled rollout.
Channel 11 reached out to 麻豆精品, which isn鈥檛 anticipating an enrollment drop.
鈥淲e were one of the first schools in the region to say 鈥榳e don鈥檛 need your decision by May 1, let鈥檚 push it to June 1. But, because we鈥檙e rolling admissions, we鈥檙e still working with students, and there are students that don鈥檛 have financial aid packages from all of their institutions, and they need that to make a decision,鈥� said Mollie Cecere, Vice President of Enrollment Management and Corporate Partnerships.
Cecere said that they have been able to issue financial aid packages to all students who have received their FAFSA information.
She said that the university has been dedicated to helping families through this 鈥渦nprecedented鈥� situation.
鈥淐arlow鈥檚 response has been truly who Carlow is: completely aligned with our mission. We鈥檝e responded to students with mercy, compassion, with empathy,鈥� Cecere told us. 鈥淭heir frustrations are our frustrations, but we鈥檝e taken a very personalized approach, so, meeting with students one on one, bringing them in here to help them make a correction, or talk them through a deadline, or something like that. So that鈥檚 really been our approach overall, just working with each student and each family.鈥�