Meredith Extends Enrollment Deposit Deadline

Meredith College has extended the Enrollment Deposit Deadline to May 15 to give incoming students and families additional time to make their decision. The usual deadline is May 1, known as National Decision Day.

The application process for the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) was delayed because of the FAFSA Simplification Act. Although the changes were intended to make the process easier for families seeking financial aid for college, the rollout has been fraught with challenges.

Meredith has been communicating with students and families throughout the process, notifying them of the application’s status and encouraging them to complete their applications as soon as possible once FAFSA was open.

“We know this has been confusing for our students and families; we also know how financially important FAFSA can be to help students afford college,” said Jill Hilliard, interim director of admissions. “Our goal has been to provide updated information as soon as we have it to help our students keep their college search on track.”

Meredith has developed a dedicated 2024-25 FAFSA website, in both English and Spanish, to provide students and families with easy access to updated information.

Next Steps

Because of significant Department of Education processing delays, Meredith, like other colleges and universities, did not start receiving FAFSA information until mid-March. The data will continue to come in over the next weeks and months. 

Students will receive their financial aid offer letter later than usual, starting in early April. They can schedule a virtual meeting with their financial aid counselor to discuss their offer letters.

“Although this process has been trying for everyone, our team is committed to providing financial aid offers as quickly as possible,” said Kevin Michaelsen, director of financial assistance. “The most important thing for students to do is complete the FAFSA if they haven’t already done so. If they have, they should check their FAFSA status, as we’ve been hearing that students’ applications are missing information, which could further delay their offers.”

Michaelsen is hopeful that next year’s FAFSA will deliver the promised benefits, minus the headaches.

“Change is always difficult, and this was a huge undertaking,” said Michaelsen. “The new FAFSA application has fewer questions and is designed to provide Pell Grants to even more students. Those changes can really help make a college education more accessible to students.” 

Note: International, undocumented, and non-U.S. resident students can apply for financial assistance by completing Meredith’s Application for Institutional Aid for International, Undocumented, and Non-U.S. Resident students.