FAFSA delays impacting prospective Montana students and universities alike [Video]

MISSOULA — The U.S. Department of Education updated the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) program for the 2024-2025 school year, including adjusting how the department calculates student aid.

Those changes have caused delays in the FAFSA process, starting with the application coming out later than normal this year.

This has caused stress for some incoming college freshmen, since they may have to pick a college without knowing how much money they’ll actually get.

Missoula Big Sky High School senior Caiden Hamer told MTN he’s feeling the pressure of the May 1, 2024, college decision date.

“I have the schools I know I can go to, but I don’t know the full extent of the financial situation. So, it’s kind of just like, what do I do? You know, I’m just in limbo.”

Caiden Hamer, a Big Sky High School senior, is feeling the impact of this year’s delayed FAFSA processing times.

Hamer explained that he filled out the FAFSA soon …