Penn State will extend its deadline for prospective students to accept their offers of admission from Wednesday, May 1, to Wednesday, May 15, 2024, for incoming first-year students enrolling in the summer or fall 2024 terms.

The deadline extension comes after the U.S. Department of Education announced colleges and universities would not receive data from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) until the first half of March. The delay will result in students receiving their financial aid offers from the university later than usual before enrollment for the summer or fall semester.

The Undergraduate Admissions Office and Office of Student Aid hopes the pushback in deadlines allows prospective students and parents additional time to consider the finances of attendance with a complete picture of the cost to attend.

“In order to make an informed decision, students and families must have all pieces of the equation in front of them,” George Zimmerman, executive director of Undergraduate Admissions at Penn State, said in a release. “Because of the anticipated FAFSA delays, we will do everything we can to work with our future Penn Staters as they make their college decision.”

Incoming first-year students seeking more information about changes to the 2024-25 FAFSA should visit the Office of Student Aid website for additional information regarding the delay and impacts on their application. Returning Penn State students filing the 2024-25 FAFSA are not impacted by this change and should file their FAFSA as usual.