‘Very Unpredictable’: Colleges Fear FAFSA Fiasco Will Hurt Enrollment

This was shaping up to be a remarkable year for Mount St. Mary’s University in Los Angeles. Applications were up 40 percent for the 2024-2025 academic year, and the women’s liberal arts school was on track to welcome its largest freshman class in eight years. But the recent tumultuous rollout of the new federal financial aid form has disrupted progress. The number of students who have paid deposits to attend Mount St. Mary’s in the fall is 7 percent lower than it was last year. Admissions workers are still hosting campus visits and coaching students through the aid process, at a time of year when enrollment should be settled.