2,500 Fordham University applicants get false acceptance notices

NEW YORK, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Fordham University in New York apologized to 2,500 early application students who received financial aid notices erroneously saying they had been accepted.

Officials at the school said the students received the notices Wednesday from a third-party contractor, Student Aid Services, and the school and contractor are working together to figure out how the error occurred, the New York Times reported Friday.

"Congratulations once again on your admission to Fordham University," Student Aid Services said in the emails, which were sent out two days before early decision students were told to expect a decision on their applications.

"Fordham and its undergraduate admissions staff are acutely aware of the high hopes prospective students and their families have regarding college acceptances," the school said in a statement Thursday. "The university deeply regrets that some applicants were misled by the financial aid notice. The admission staff is working with S.A.S. to find out what went wrong."

Craig Carroll, the chief executive of Student Aid Services, apologized for the error.

Officials said 500 of the applicants who received the emails had been rejected, while the other 2,000 had been deferred and can expect a decision in April.

The rejected students can re-apply for regular admission, the school said.