The University of Pittsburgh Friday became the latest institution to extend the deadline for first-year admitted students to decide whether to enroll.
The May 1 deadline will be extended to May 15, officials said Friday.
The move impacts thousands of applicants to Western Pennsylvania’s largest university and is the result of problems with the introduction of a updated federal form students must complete each year to be eligible for financial aid.
A series of glitches and delays in the rollout of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has sparked worry nationally as financial information from applicants that normally would arrive at colleges this month is not likely to be received until mid-March.
It has implications for how quickly campuses can send out financial aid packages to students and how long they will have to weigh offers against other schools.
“Pitt is excitedly awaiting students’ commitments but understands how crucial this decision is, which is why we’re extending the deadline,” said Marc Harding, vice provost for enrollment at Pitt. “The extension ensures that students and families have ample time to review their options and make an informed decision when choosing Pitt.”
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Earlier this month, Pitt Chancellor Joan Gabel said Pitt was maintaining its usual deadline but was also monitoring the situation closely and working with individual students and families to reassure them.
“Mostly, what we want them to know is that we know this isn’t their fault. And that as the guidance comes out, we will work with them, so that they aren’t thinking they’re forgotten,” Gabel said.
Earlier this week, Penn State University pushed back its deadline by two weeks to May. 15. the State System of Higher Education announced that it was enacting a similar extension across the10 state-owned universities including PennWest University (California, Clarion, Edinboro), Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Slippery Rock University in Western Pennsylvania.
Those schools are either switching to a rolling admission policy so they can continue to review applications as submitted, or pushing back the May 1 deadline to May 15.
Across the nation, worry in campus financial aid circles has focused partly on how the delay will impact first-generation and other students from disadvantaged households. They may not have the support to navigate the issue and could be more prone to giving up.
A limited number of colleges and universities from California to Minnesota to Pennsylvania have announced they are pushing back the traditional May 1 deadline by which students are expected to decide on where they will enroll.
Bill Schackner is a TribLive reporter covering higher education. Raised in New England, he joined the Trib in 2022 after 29 years at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where he was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team. Previously, he has written for newspapers in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. He can be reached at bschackner@triblive.com.