The new federal budget, which was signed into law last night, includes sweeping changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the form that students and prospective college students must fill out to determine their eligibility for student financial aid). The changes will reduce the total number of questions to 36, down from 108 making it simpler for students to qualify for Pell Grants.
The bill’s student-aid provisions will take effect in the 2023-24 aid cycle. That means the changes will be reflected on the FAFSA that will become available on October 1, 2022 (though some provisions could take effect sooner).
Advocates for the changes have long sought to reduce the number of questions on the FAFSA, contending that a shorter, simpler application would help more students complete the form and receive the aid for which they’re eligible.
There will also be a new way to determine which FAFSA filers will receive a guaranteed minimum or maximum Pell Grant of $6,345
The reduced number of questions are designed to make the form more user friendly. Also, more students will be able to have their aid eligibility calculated without consideration of their assets, including those who don’t file income-tax returns and, under certain conditions, those who have an adjusted gross income, or AGI, of $60,000 and filed a simple tax return.
Bottom line: For many applicants, the pared-down form will make applying for aid less tedious, time-consuming, and anxiety-inducing. And families with the lowest incomes will have fewer questions to answer than will families with higher incomes.
The new changes are expected to allow up to 1.7 million more students to qualify for the maximum Pell Grant award each year, while making hundreds of thousands more eligible for partial awards.
The bill’s student-aid provisions will take effect in the 2023-24 aid cycle. That means the changes will be reflected on the FAFSA that will become available on October 1, 2022 (though some provisions could take effect sooner).
Advocates for the changes have long sought to reduce the number of questions on the FAFSA, contending that a shorter, simpler application would help more students complete the form and receive the aid for which they’re eligible.
Bottom line: For many applicants, the pared-down form will make applying for aid less tedious, time-consuming, and anxiety-inducing. And families with the lowest incomes will have fewer questions to answer than will families with higher incomes.
The new changes are expected to allow up to 1.7 million more students to qualify for the maximum Pell Grant award each year, while making hundreds of thousands more eligible for partial awards.