MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Free Application for Federal Student Aid has made changes to how it determines who is eligible for aid and how much they can receive.
Back in 2020 the FAFSA Simplification Act was passed through congress. This month all of the changes included in the act have been integrated into the student aid process.
One of the major changes students and parents will see is a reduction in the questions on the application from 103 down to less than 40
“It will make it easier for students to complete, and hopefully [they will do it]” said Alyssa Fredin, the Director of Student Financial Services at Michigan Tech.
Another major change is changing how financial aid eligibility is determined. Expected family contribution, which was how schools determined how much aid a student should receive, is being replaced by the student aid index.
The new system will remove the number of family members in college from the calculation and use different criteria for federal Pell Grant Eligibility.
“Something like 600,000 students will become Pell Grant Eligible nationally,” commented Mike Rotundo, the Director of Financial Aid at NMU.
The FAFSA is also streamlining the process of providing tax and income information for families.currently families need to provide tax and income information on the application, now the irs, with consent, will directly provide that information.
“That way families will be hung up on having to identify what tax information and what income information to put on the FAFSA,” added Rotundo.
With the changes the FAFSA, which is normally opened in October for the following fall semester, did not become available until January.
Financial aid offices recommend filling out the forms as soon as possible to ensure you receive your award offers well before having to make school or aid decisions.
