"Applications for federal student aid have opened about three months later than usual. That’s because the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA has undergone an overhaul to make it simpler," NBC DFW reports.

... "'The soft launch definitely was rockier than we had expected to see in those early days,' said Jill Desjean, senior policy analyst with the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. 'I am encouraged to see that the Department of Education seems to be having the application open for more hours every day. It seems as though more people can get in there.'"

"As of Monday, the Education Department said more than one million applicants successfully submitted their FAFSA. Completing the FAFSA is a key step for students to access federal money like grants and work-study to help pay for school. States and colleges may use your FAFSA eligibility information to award their financial aid."

"'For incoming students, you might be applying to many different schools. They may all have their own different dates. Some states have programs that are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Some institutions might as well,' said Desjean."

... "Desjean said students can ask about how financial aid is awarded, 'If it's just simply everyone who applies by this deadline qualifies equally or we've got this deadline, but also it's first come, first serve.'"

"'Just read carefully, be very aware, make a phone call if you have to,' Desjean added."

"The Department of Education has said students wouldn’t have to rush to fill out the FAFSA when it opened. It would not share FAFSA eligibility information with schools, scholarship organizations and states until later this month."

"'That really just compresses that time frame, especially for incoming students who want to have a comparison of all their different aid offers together and decide what works best for their family,' said Desjean. 'Instead of having months, they might have weeks now.'"

NASFAA's "Notable Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Articles included under the notable headlines section are not written by NASFAA, but rather by external sources. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

Publication Date: 1/10/2024