Monmouth College Moves Enrollment Deposit to June 1 to Help Families Frustrated by FAFSA Delays

'Monmouth is committed to serving our students and their families during this major disruption to their college decision-making process.'

by Duane Bonifer

MONMOUTH, Ill. (02/02/2024) — In response to numerous delays with the U.S. Department of Education's Free Application for Federal Student Aid, Monmouth College has extended the deadline for its enrollment deposit to June 1.

The decision, which extends the College's deadline by one month, was not hard, said Monmouth President Clarence Wyatt.

"This was an easy decision to make because Monmouth takes care of our families," said Wyatt. "Monmouth is committed to serving our students and their families during this major disruption to their college decision-making process."

Colleges learned this week from the U.S. Department of Education that they will not receive students' financial aid data from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid -- known as the FAFSA -- until at least the middle of March. The FAFSA is being delayed because of a major overhaul by the U.S. Department of Education.

"We want to ensure that the decision-making process is not rushed and allows our students and family members the space they need to make a well-informed and confident choice," said Monmouth Vice President for Enrollment Management Stephanie Levenson. "This extra time will allow our families to understand their financial aid offer and direct costs, visit our campus again, and engage in additional meaningful conversations with members of the Monmouth community about the College."

Monmouth is one of the "Top Performers on Social Mobility" among National Liberal Arts Colleges in the 2024 issue of the U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges guide. Among Monmouth's first-year class, 45% of students received a Pell grant, which is awarded to students whose families display exceptional financial need on their FAFSA. Overall, 37% of the College's student body received a Pell grant this school year.

To help area residents navigate the changes in the FAFSA, members of the Monmouth Office of Student Financial Planning have been visiting high schools to work with students and families.

Levenson said that Monmouth's extension of the deadline for its enrollment deposit will also assist high school counselors and teachers.

"Our high school partners do a tremendous job, often with very limited staff and resources, and it is important for us to support them as they help students and families navigate the college decision-process this year in a compressed time frame," she said.

Monmouth will share information about the new enrollment timeline soon with all admitted students for fall 2024. Previous communications listing May 1 as the enrollment deposit deadline should be disregarded. If additional delays are announced by the U.S. Department of Education, adjustments may be made to support students and families.