Ohio State to extend financial aid priority date and commitment deadline

The Ohio State University announced today that the university is extending the deadline for students and families to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) until Friday, March 15 – a month later than the previous Feb. 15 deadline.

The university is also extending the deadline to apply for scholarships through ScholarshipUniverse to March 15. The shift in deadlines applies to all incoming and current students.

Ohio State is also moving the enrollment commitment deadline for incoming first-year students from May 1 to May 15.

The university announced the decision after consulting with state and national peer institutions. The U.S. Department of Education recently announced that colleges and universities would not receive FAFSA applicant information for the 2024-2025 academic year until the first half of March.

“We understand how important financial aid is to students and families who are still making their college decisions. To give them more time to make an informed decision, Ohio State is extending the deadline for incoming first-year students to pay their acceptance fee and commit to the university,” said James Orr, vice provost for strategic enrollment management. “We remain committed to access and affordability and will continue to offer financial services and education to support students and families.”

The new priority deadline will give students and families more time to apply for financial aid while still ensuring that the university receives all data required to determine aid packages.

The delay in data will in turn delay Ohio State’s financial aid notifications for incoming students. Ohio State continues to prepare for the new FAFSA and will provide aid notifications as quickly as possible once the university receives and processes the data from the U.S. Department of Education.

Higher education organizations and financial aid advocates have called for colleges and universities to offer more flexibility to students and their families. Last week, the Association of American Universities, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators joined members of the financial aid and college access community to urge institutions to make accommodations so students and families have the time to adequately consider their financial options before making enrollment decisions.

Orr said the university will continue to monitor the evolving situation and provide flexibility as needed while also balancing the university’s commitment to first-year student success.