"College students and families filing out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) may find it’s less of a chore this year, thanks to a redesigned website and new mobile app that should make it easier for students and parents to collaborate," Credible reports.

"New and returning college students who hope to claim a piece the more than $100 billion in federal college aid up for grabs during the 2019-2020 academic year can fill out the FAFSA starting Oct. 1. College guidance counselors recommend that all students fill out the FAFSA to gain access to federal, state and school-based aid including loans, grants and work-study positions.

There are more than 100 questions on the FAFSA, many pertaining to family income. It can take 90 minutes or more to fill out the paper version of the FAFSA, but the online application can speed the process by automatically importing much of the needed information about family income directly from the IRS.

This year, there are two new twists that makes the FAFSA easier to fill out on a smartphone or mobile devices.

... It’s important to fill out the FAFSA carefully, to avoid being flagged for verification.

Although the ability to import information directly from the IRS was expected to greatly reduce errors and the number of FAFSA forms flagged for verification, about 30 percent of applications require further review.

... NASFAA has proposed exempting students whose families qualify for federal programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from having to provide more detailed financial information on the FAFSA, because the government already has it.

Expanding the breadth of information retrieved by the IRS data retrieval tool would also reduce the number of questions that anyone filling out the FAFSA would need to answer, Draeger said."

NASFAA's "Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

Publication Date: 9/14/2018