Students gathering in front of the North Entrance of the Cascade Building

Latest FAFSA Delay Updates

Updated: May 1, 2024

The U. S. Department of Education has announced a delay in processing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It plans to send schools FAFSA data for individual students by May. This extraordinary delay is approximately five months behind a typical year's schedule, so it will impact both students and schools. We will not be able to send financial aid offer letters for 2024-2025 until in mid-June and will begin with enrolled summer quarter students.

If applying for financial aid is an important part of your plan to attend Pierce College, please check back often for updates on the 2024-2025 FAFSA delay.

What This Means For You

  • Schools encourage students to complete the FAFSA to determine eligibility for Federal Student Aid. This includes possible eligibility for Federal grants and Federal Direct Loans.
  • This nationwide challenge affects all schools processing Federal Student Aid, so the financial aid offices will be balancing their efforts across student populations
  • Washington State Community and Technical College computer systems require updates and testing before they are ready to issue financial aid offers. Once the school receives the first batches of FAFSA data files, it will be mid-June before the first financial aid offers are provided to enrolled summer quarter students. Fall quarter start students' award offers will be sent second.

Summary of What to Expect

  • Once you submit your FAFSA, as a confirmation, you should receive a "We've Received Your FAFSA Form" confirmation email from the U.S. Department of Education. If a Student Aid Index or SAI (formerly EFC) can be calculated, the email will include an estimated SAI. This email is only being sent to students, not parents (for dependent students).
  • FAFSA Submission Summaries (FSS) (formerly the Student Aid Report or SAR), which include the SAI, will not be available by May. If the FSS or SAI is needed for a scholarship, check with the scholarship organization to see what documentation is acceptable and what date it is needed.
  • Once we receive FAFSA data at Pierce College, we will need time to load student records, test our systems, and generate financial aid offers. We will not be able to send financial aid offer letters for 2024-2025 until in mid-June and will begin with enrolled summer quarter students.

Resources

What If I Have a Question?

Contact the Pierce College Financial Aid Office. We are here to help!

Email

financialaid@pierce.ctc.edu 

Zoom

Join Zoom Room 

Tuesday: 12 to 4 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

During peak hours, you may experience longer than normal wait times. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Office Hours: Speak to a Financial Aid Office Team Member Face-to-Face

Financial aid office hours allow dedicated time to process your applications and awards.

Fort Steilacoom

Monday: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Puyallup

Thursday: 12 to 4 p.m.