By Nadia Scharf
Universities of Wisconsin leaders said they don’t expect any delays or issues with the federal student aid application rollout amid the ongoing government shutdown.
UW system President Jay Rothman and UW-Green Bay Chancellor Mike Alexander encouraged families to complete the FAFSA, the federal application used by universities to gauge financial aid awards, at an Oct. 6 news conference held at Green Bay Southwest High School. There, they assured reporters that they don’t expect delays due to the ongoing government shutdown, citing a memo from the Federal Student Aid Office.
The Oct. 1 memo says students and their families can fill out the FAFSA from start to finish despite the shutdown. Federal loans will still be disbursed, and student loan borrowers will still have to make payments.
Instead of delays, Rothman said the opposite is happening.
“The last statistics that were available nationally [show] that this was one of the best starts to the FAFSA application process ever,” Rothman said.
On Sept. 24, the U.S. Education Department announced the FAFSA for the 2026-27 school year was available. In the beta testing phase, which started Aug. 3, the ED processed nearly 25,000 applications, the department’s announcement reads. It reports 97% of respondents said they were satisfied with the form.
Alexander called the FAFSA an “equalizer,” helping allow students from a variety of backgrounds to attend college, and he encouraged students to fill out the form if they’re even considering college.
“It unlocks so many doors, just by taking the time to fill out the form,” Alexander said.
Contact Green Bay education reporter Nadia Scharf at nscharf@gannett.com or on X at @nadiaascharf.
Source: UW leaders don’t expect FAFSA delays under government shutdown