Education Department starts sending financial aid data to colleges after months of delays

After months of delays and technical hiccups, some colleges and universities have started to receive federal data they need to put together financial aid offers for incoming students. The Education Department says it sent a batch of student records to “a few dozen schools” on Sunday and is making final updates before expanding to more universities. The delay has cut into the time schools usually have to assemble financial aid packages before the typical May 1 deadline for students to commit to a university. Many colleges have extended enrollment deadlines as families wonder how much financial help they will get with college tuition.