There has been much apprehension and hand-wringing again this week since the U.S. Department of Education announced — again — a delay in its process for federal financial aid for college students.

The department said that student data from the newly revamped Free Application for Federal Student Aid would not be sent to colleges until March, two months later than expected, which will likely mean that students won’t get their financial aid packages from colleges until early April. The reason for the delay is aimed at helping students: More will be eligible for aid as a result. But this will significantly shorten the window they have to weigh their options and reply to colleges by the traditional May 1 decision deadline.

In the meantime, financial aid and college access organizations are encouraging colleges to be flexible with students and families in light of the delay.

“During the pandemic, many institutions extended their enrollment, scholarship, and financial aid deadlines beyond the traditional May 1 date, and we urge institutions to make similar accommodations this year,” said the nine groups, including the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the American Council on Education. “We all want students and families to have the time they need to consider their financial options before making enrollment decisions.”

Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania, announced Friday that it would suspend its May decision day in light of the problems.

“These delays have created a lot of stress for college-bound students in the class of 2024 ...,” said Joseph Howard, Widener’s vice president for enrollment. “We don’t want Widener’s deadlines to add anxiety to this process.”

Francesca Reed, vice president for enrollment management and marketing at Neumann University, a 2,100-student Catholic university in Aston, Pennsylvania, shared her insight into what this means for students and families. She has worked in enrollment management for about 23 years, which includes financial aid.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: The first delay in the newly revamped FAFSA came last year. The forms weren’t available for students to access until December, right?

A: Yes, December. It was a soft rollout, they called it. So it was only live for certain hours during the day. A limited number of individuals could actually get on it.

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