GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — Colorado Mesa University has taken steps to help students receive financial aid offers earlier, bypassing delays caused by the FAFSA process. For the second consecutive year, CMU has provided students with financial aid outside of the traditional FAFSA system.
"Students will get their financial aid offers early, giving them the information they need to make an informed decision about whether they can afford to attend," said Lindsey Campbell, CMU's executive director of financial aid.
Due to delays and errors, the 2025-26 FAFSA has been postponed to Dec. 1, putting the Department of Education two months behind schedule. However, instead of waiting until then, students can visit CMU’s website, input their 2023 tax information into the financial aid calculator and receive an offer they can rely on.
“We stand by the offer,” Campbell emphasized, adding that while students are still required to complete the FAFSA when it becomes available, the early aid submission process provides much-needed relief.
“It removed a lot of stress and uncertainty about what the next year might hold,” Campbell said. “It’s been a beneficial move for students and their families.”
Parents have also appreciated the initiative. “Having the financial aid information in hand has been crucial for their decision-making,” Campbell noted. “Even if there are slight differences when the FAFSA is submitted, CMU guarantees to cover the difference.”
The 2025-26 FASFA prototype allows users to explore different scenarios, from starting a new application to making corrections on a processed form. When asked what might happen once the FASFA system is back on schedule, Campbell said the early aid offer could evolve.
“If FAFSA was back on track with its October 1 start, we might adjust or discontinue the early aid offer. But for this year, it's here to stay until we can fully rely on the federal process.”
When asked if other universities might follow suit, Campbell pointed out that it depends on institutional resources. “Some of my colleagues are asking how we’re managing this. It’s a risk from an institutional standpoint, but we have a contingency fund set aside to handle any discrepancies between early aid offers and the final FAFSA information.”
CMU encourages all students to use the new financial aid tool and to complete the federal aid application as usual when the FAFSA becomes available.