JUST DO IT! 

No, I’m not trying to sell you a pair of Nikes but I am telling you to  complete the FAFSA form!

We finally have an opening date for this year’s FAFSA: December 31, 2023. It is the last day the government can release the new form and still stay within the confines of the law.

The FAFSA or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is a form required by all colleges and universities that students need to complete in order to determine federal aid. Normally the form is available on October 1st of each year, but due to the changes on the application, it is a late release this year.

Some of the changes may not mean anything to a student/parent who has never completed the form before but by reading this, you will be somewhat prepared.Here are some of the details;

1. The form is shorter and easier to complete. Originally, it was an eight-page document, this new form will be two pages.The old FAFSA had over 100 questions, while the new one has less than 50. It is now available in 11 languages.
2. Everyone needs a FSA ID to complete the FAFSA application.There will be multi-factor authentication (MFA) to gain access to the form. Anyone, now referred to as “contributors” are required to fill out part of a student’s FAFSA; a spouse, parent or step-parent—and must create their own ID. Do this now so when the form becomes available, you can get started right away. It’s a three day turnaround for the account to be created. Hold onto the password you created since it will be yours for the duration of your college attendance, even at the graduate level. Go to: Create Account | Federal Student Aid  to do so.
3. The new FAFSA application requires that financial information be pulled directly from IRS data, so there’s less information to enter manually (and fewer errors). Please be aware that NEITHER the student nor the parent will see those numbers on the form. The colleges/universities you want results sent to will (up to 20 schools).
4. Changed Parent Responsibilities: In cases of divorce or separation, only the parent who provided the most financial support to the student in the last year will need to submit financial information. In the past, the parent who the student lived with submitted financial information.
5. Families no longer get a break for having multiple students in college at the same time. This means families with multiple college students could receive less aid for the 2024-25 school year. Keep in mind schools can adjust offers at their discretion, considering the financial burden of having many students in school.
6. Your financial data is placed in the federal formula and the results are now called the Student Aid Index, SAI. The SAI will be sent to all the colleges you want it sent to. High school seniors will request the results be sent to all the schools they are applying to, while returning college students will send it to the school they are attending.
7. More Pell Grant Awards: Some students will automatically qualify for the maximum Pell Grant, including families making less than 175% of the federal poverty level and single parents making less than 225%.
8. Reporting Assets: Family farms and small businesses should be reported as assets, while some income isn’t considered in aid calculation (such as money received from extended family members, like grandparents).

Completing this form gives you options to support your education. Get started and here are some helps: 

Preparing for the FAFSA Form – YouTube,

2024–25 FAFSA FAQs – YouTube

Federal Student Aid Estimator

Oh….. and wait for those after Christmas sales to buy the Nikes.

Joanne Clary Apesos is the owner of College Pursuits, a college counseling business. She has advised high school students and their families in planning their college experience for many years and has presented HEF workshops for students and parents about the college selection process. Prior to assisting high school students she worked in higher education for 20+ years as an admissions counselor, adjunct faculty and director of student activities at both public and private colleges and universities in the Northeast. She holds a master’s degree in Higher Education from Columbia University and completed UCLA’s College Counseling Certificate Program. She is also a recipient of the State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor’s Award and selected Holliston’s Citizen of the Year in 2011. She can be reached at joanneapesos@gmail.com.