Some Arizona State University students are still waiting on fall-semester financial aid funds, leaving them unable to pay tuition, buy textbooks, or cover basic school expenses weeks into the term. ASU has acknowledged the delays and extended tuition deadlines for affected students, but the university has not said how many people remain stuck in the backlog.
ASU student Alison Gadberry told ABC15 she is finishing her Session A classes without having paid for them, and she still hasn't bought her textbooks for the session. Her computer died partway through the session, and she said she couldn't replace it because she didn't have the funds. Gadberry said she's been contacting the financial aid office for weeks but keeps getting a different answer every time she calls, and she described the delay as much worse than she expected.
She's not alone. Another ASU student, Brian, told the station he is still waiting for his student loans to be funded, while student Isaac Aguero said he's still waiting on private loan funds he requested to cover rent and other living expenses.
Why Aid Is Delayed
ASU has attributed the delays to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a federal law that changed student borrowing guidelines and required colleges to update their financial aid systems to comply. According to ASU's financial aid site, the changes are expected to take effect July 1, 2026, and the university had warned students in advance that aid could be delayed as a result. A university spokesperson told ABC15 that financial aid is individualized and some students may still be affected as processing continues.
The university says it is making progress working through the backlog and that it is being flexible on tuition deadlines for those caught up in it. ASU says students affected by the backlog may be eligible for extended tuition deadlines. ASU also says disbursement generally begins about five days before classes start, though that timeline clearly hasn't held for everyone this fall.
The exact deadline extension has been described two different ways. ABC15's earlier report said ASU had moved the tuition payment date to September 25 for those affected, while a later update stated that the deadline was extended from late September to October 25 for students still awaiting aid. ASU has not provided a number of how many students remain in limbo, though the delays have hit both undergraduate and graduate students, and the university maintains that all ASU students will eventually receive the financial aid they qualify for.
A Broader Rollout Problem
ASU isn't the only school dealing with the fallout. According to Georgetown's Center on Education and the Workforce, the federal loan overhaul is projected to affect roughly 13 million students who receive financial aid annually, and delays in loan and grant disbursements have caused some students nationally to miss housing and other living-expense payments over the summer. At the University of Maryland Global Campus, graduate student Mikiah Roberson was scheduled to receive $6,700 in federal loans by June 3 but didn't actually get the money until mid-July, in the middle of an eight-week summer program, per the same report.
Georgetown's report says some institutions were still waiting on vendors. Financial aid expert Karen McCarthy told ABC15 that many institutions are scrambling through what is largely a systems-based processing problem. More than 40 higher education organizations had urged the Department of Education to push implementation back to July 1, 2027, according to Hechinger's reporting, though that delay did not happen.
What's Changing for Borrowers
The law changes student borrowing rules. New borrowers will face annual and lifetime borrowing limits, students enrolled less than full-time may see their loans prorated, and new borrowers will lose access to Graduate PLUS loans starting July 1, 2026. Enrollment status can affect loan amounts. ASU's own guidance states that students currently enrolled who received federal loans before July 1, 2026, may qualify for legacy provisions covering up to three more academic years or through expected program completion.
For now, ASU students still waiting on aid have one clear option: the university is directing anyone who needs assistance to call 855-278-5080.
