Update - May 17, 2024:
Due to this year's FAFSA delays, George Mason is continuing to accept freshman enrollment deposits.
Prospective students should reach out to the Office of Admissions at admissions@gmu.edu if they need additional time or assistance to make their college decision. Students who need help completing their FAFSA or understanding their financial aid package should contact the Mason Student Services Center or review Mason's FAFSA simplification page.
Original article - Feb. 21, 2024:
George Mason University is extending the deadline for admitted freshman students to submit an enrollment deposit and confirm their spot in the Class of 2028 from May 1 to May 15, 2024.
The decision follows the recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Education that institutions of higher learning would not begin receiving student financial aid information from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) until mid-March. The delay has caused a ripple effect that has pushed back the formulation of financial aid packages that often determine which college students ultimately choose to attend. The delay was a result of extensive federal changes to FAFSA in an effort to simplify the student aid application process.
The Department of Education currently plans to start sending FAFSA data to schools in mid-March, with Mason planning to send aid notifications in the weeks after that.
The deadline extension is part of Mason’s commitment to providing an opportunity for a high-quality, affordable education. Sixty-six percent of Mason students receive financial aid and Mason’s loan default rate is 0.8 percent, which is significantly lower than the national default rate of 2.3 percent. Mason graduates are better positioned than others to pay off their educational investments.
Mason is also increasing its communication with those students who have applied for admission by notifying them when their FAFSA has been received by the university.
Mason hosted the first of three spring spotlight days for admitted students on Monday, Feb. 19 with nearly 300 students registered for the event. The annual Spring Preview, Mason’s largest admitted student open house, will be held on April 7.
Accepted students can still submit their deposit as soon they’re ready to do so.
Mason welcomed a record freshman class of more than 4,500 freshmen and roughly 11,000 new students overall last fall to become the first college or university in state history to enroll more than 40,000 students. A record 3,500 of the new freshmen hailed from the commonwealth.
Learn more at the Freshman Next Steps and the FAFSA Simplification pages.