FAFSA delays causing financial aid headaches for Minnesota college students

• That's more than a month later than officials had previously said.

Why it matters: Colleges can't determine students' financial aid packages until they receive the data. That means incoming freshmen may have to scramble to meet a May 1 deadline to commit to attending a school.

What they're saying: "Without FAFSA, a lot of people aren't able to go to school or afford going to school," U of M grad student Sam Adeniyi told KSTP.

Zoom in: In a statement to KARE 11, a U of M official was noncommittal about changing the May 1 timetable, but acknowledged the stress the delays were causing.

• A Minnesota State system spokesperson told KSTP the delay "isn't expected to affect any financial aid awards."

• Macalester College requires all applicants to submit a different financial history form, so an official told the Star Tribune the college has been able to send many aid offers "on the normal timeline."

Of note: The federal education agency says all these delays stem from changes that make the FAFSA form much easier for students to fill out.

• The new application is half as long as the old, 103-question form. Now, some students may only need to answer as few as 18 questions.