Bill extending deadline for college aid heads to Newsom

The deadline in California to apply for college financial aid would be extended by a month to May 2 under a bill headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk on Thursday.

The bill would extend the deadline in California for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, and give students more time to qualify for programs such as Cal Grant and the Middle Class Scholarship. The legislation passed the state Senate on Thursday in a 37-0 vote. If Newsom signs it, the bill would take effect immediately since it includes an urgency clause, lawmakers said.

The action by lawmakers comes as thousands of students in the Bay Area and countless others across the country have reported glitches in the new FAFSA system that have made applying for aid more difficult this year. The new system was rolled out on Dec. 31, three months late, and included several issues such as signatures vanishing from saved forms and school names truncated, the Chronicle previously reported.

Another issue students faced was having their applications blocked if their parents did not have a Social Security number. The U.S. Department of Education recently said the glitch had been fixed.

The numerous issues had a noticeable impact on the number of students applying for aid. Last year, 40% of high school seniors had submitted their FAFSA by early February, the Chronicle previously reported, citing the National College Attainment Network. This year, the percentage of high school seniors who submitted the form was just 20%, the Chronicle previously reported.

“Making the path to fulfilling our students’ dreams of achieving higher education more affordable and accessible is among the Legislature’s highest duties, and I believe we have honored that duty by sending this bill to the Governor today,” said Assembly Member Sabrina Cervantes, D-Riverside, who authored the bill.