For undergraduate admitted applicants, we want to assure you that the FAFSA delays have not affected NYU's ability to offer financial aid packages, but we have had to include estimates of a student’s federal funding support until we receive the FAFSA information from the Department of Education.
What does this mean?
While the FAFSA gives the NYU Office of Financial Aid information to award federal funds (such as Pell grants), the University largely bases its financial aid calculations on the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile, an independent financial aid application that is required if an undergraduate student wants to be considered for an NYU scholarship or grant.
With information from the CSS Profile, we will be able to estimate admitted students' federal grant amounts and calculate that portion of their financial aid packages. All admitted students will receive their financial aid letters in a timely manner, well in advance of the standard May 1 deadline by which applicants need to decide on which college to attend.
For first-year students admitted to our New York Campus, NYU is committed to meeting the full demonstrated need of all applicants through all sources of grant and scholarship aid (NYU, Federal, and State). If a student and their family successfully completes the FAFSA and their Pell Grant is different than what was estimated in their financial aid offer, their NYU Grant and Scholarship aid amount will be adjusted resulting in no change to their Net Cost to attend NYU.
We have been keeping a close watch on the changing FAFSA timeline, and continue to shift our own FAFSA priority dates accordingly so that all applicants have ample time. Of course, in order to issue financial aid packages beyond estimates, we do require students to complete their FAFSA applications.