KENNESAW, Ga. — A local mother said she was forced to scramble to come up with enough money to pay her son's tuition at Kennesaw State University (KSU) after experiencing delays with his federal student aid.
Melissa Perryman, who has been vocal about her frustrations, said she’s not alone. Other parents have shared similar concerns, and she worries that these delays may cause long-term issues for her son, Alex Perryman, as he progresses through college.
For Alex Perryman, KSU was a dream come true.
"They had the major that I wanted, which was data science and analytics," Alex Perryman said.
Now in his sophomore year, Alex Perryman said he completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on time, just as he had watched his mother and sister do many times before. However, this year, the process was anything but smooth.
"We filled everything out on time, but this year we didn’t get the refund as quickly," Alex Perryman explained.
Melissa Perryman echoed her son's concerns, noting that the usual timeline for applying had been significantly delayed.
"You usually apply back in the winter months," she said. "But they kept pushing it back until almost the spring, and then we were rushing to apply."
University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue addressed the ongoing issues in a letter to U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on August 16. In the letter, Perdue described the new FAFSA process as "an abject failure," citing "unprecedented levels of ongoing and new issues that will delay aid and negatively impact students and campuses in ways we do not yet fully know."
The new FAFSA process, which was introduced in late 2023, has been plagued by delays and technical glitches, putting schools under pressure to verify students' forms before tuition deadlines.
Melissa Perryman was given until Monday to pay her son's tuition or face the possibility of him having to withdraw from classes. With help from her partner, she managed to come up with the funds, but she knows others aren’t as fortunate.
"They did work with us on the one day with the tuition being due, but they only worked with us for one day," Melissa Perryman said. "As far as I know, kids were being dropped today and yesterday from their classes."
KSU has informed the mom that her son's aid will be applied on Sept. 3, but the uncertainty remains a source of stress for the family.
"If this keeps up, I don’t know what I’m going to do," Alex Perryman said. "I already had to take out loans, and that’s going to add up after college."
Kennesaw State sent a statement to 11Alive from KSU's Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer.
"In response to the changes to the FAFSA issued by the U.S. Department of Education, Kennesaw State has been working to provide every opportunity for its students to receive their financial aid and be enrolled in the fall 2024 semester. Students who were eligible for federal aid and submitted their FAFSA and verification documents by our August 1 deadline, and had not received their financial aid package, received an extended payment deadline in accordance with guidelines from the University System of Georgia. These students have not been unenrolled from their Fall 2024 classes. Approximately 1,600 students received this extension because they were impacted by the FAFSA delay."