As many students and families may already know, the past several weeks have brought rapid changes in the field of education, affecting university funding, admissions policies, and the administration of student loans and financial aid.  Most recently, approximately 1,300 employees were laid off at the Department of Education, including at least 326 employees directly involved with the administration of the FAFSA. Universities including Johns Hopkins University and Columbia University have had grants and funding cancelled or cut.

The current landscape of higher education is volatile. Previous layoffs have been reversed by court order; these may be as well. We are staying abreast of changes and new developments.  However, in the meantime, we would advise:

Families of current seniors who intend to but have not yet completed the FAFSA should do so as soon as possible. It is possible that the Department of Education may be slower to respond to outages or address student and family questions or concerns.

Families of current juniors should have conversations about the financial fit of their college list early and in earnest. While this is always best practice and something that we advise for all families, it is especially important this year, as financial aid packages may be delayed or uncertain. Universities may also increase the cost of tuition in response to the loss of federal funding. You can consult our blog post on financial aid to help understand the basics, consult the Net Price Calculator on university websites to get a sense of what a college or university may cost, and review our recent webinar about the college research process.