After careful consideration with campus and systemwide University of California partners, UC Davis will extend the Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) deadline for first-year undergraduates this year from May 1 to May 15. The decision was made to support students and their families impacted by the current delays to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The University of California announced Feb. 7 that all nine of its undergraduate campuses will extend the deadline. According to UC Davis Undergraduate Admissions Executive Director Robert Penman, admissions leaders throughout UC agreed the extension was necessary.

“By extending the decision window, we ensure all first-year students, particularly those from low-income and first-generation backgrounds, have time to fully assess their college options,” he said.

Leaders announced the extension following communication from the U.S. Department of Education in early February that students’ FAFSA financial aid information will not be provided to colleges and universities until mid-March. That timing, Penman explained, comes after UC Davis delivers admission notifications to applicants.

UC Davis provides admission notifications in early March. In the past, when notifications were provided, admitted students who applied for financial aid also received details regarding their financial aid packages at nearly same time.

That is not possible this spring. UC Davis Financial Aid and Scholarships plans to begin providing financial aid offers to admitted first-year students starting in mid-April, after data is received from FASFA and packages are calculated. The extension provides students time to review a complete financial aid package and make a confident decision on or before May 15.

Penman said the extension may create some internal challenges for UC Davis departments because of the compressed timeline for enrolling new students but the commitment to families is most important.

“We’re saying we understand and we want to do what’s right for you, the student, and your families,” he said.  

UC Davis Undergraduate Admissions team members are meeting with campus partners over the coming weeks to identify the impacts of the extension and modify subsequent deadlines as needed.

Enrollment Management and Undergraduate Admissions continues to follow up with campus partners to identify this impact and what is needed to change subsequent deadlines and timelines.