As California’s financial aid deadline for college students looms, a state lawmaker is seeking to fast-track a bill that would extend the deadline from April 2 to May 2.
Assembly Bill 1887, introduced by Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes, undergoes its first hearing this week and must be approved by March 21, the last date before the Legislature goes on break and reconvenes April 1.
The bill comes as students have complained about an issue with the application website that prevents them from applying for federal aid if their parents lack a Social Security number – an issue that has only just arisen this year.
The glitch is one of several problems applicants have encountered since last year’s revamp of the FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
In a March 14 update, the U.S. Education Department said it has fixed some of the issues, and made technical updates that now enable some students whose parents have no Social Security numbers to successfully submit the form.
However, it warned that some students in this scenario may still have trouble submitting.
“The department is aware of these issues and is working on resolutions,” department officials said.
About 2 percent of applicants faced this issue in 2024, according to department officials.
Last year, about 100,000 students submitted applications without their parents’ Social Security number, statewide news outlet CalMatters reported.
In a March 7 Senate subcommittee, college officials urged the Legislature to support the extension.
“The Legislature can highlight, double down on how unacceptable it is that certain U.S. citizens cannot submit a FAFSA,” said Gina Browne, a senior official with the California Community Colleges system, at a Senate hearing last week, “and I’m personally offended by it.”
Representatives for the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) also expressed support for the bill.
“We think that extending the state financial aid deadline is worth considering because it allows the U.S. Department of Education more time to resolve these technical difficulties,” stated LAO policy analyst Lisa Qing.
