"After a months-long delay, the federal student aid form — known as the FAFSA — will reopen later this month — with drastic changes to the way the application is completed," NPR reports.

... NADWORNY: The FAFSA is usually out in October, so you can know how much aid, including grants and loans, you'll be eligible for pretty early. But this year, the Education Department says the updated form will launch sometime before December 31. The reason for the delay - there's a ton of changes to this year's form.

JUSTIN DRAEGER: These are the biggest changes that are happening to the federal student aid form in decades.

NADWORNY: Justin Draeger is the president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

DRAEGER: These are really good changes that will translate into more dollars for students and families.

NADWORNY: The form has been simplified. There are fewer questions. Instead of using a tool to use info from a prior year's tax return, this year's form is integrated with IRS data, which should make it way easier to access financial information.

DRAEGER: If you are a low-income student or family in this country, we are going to stop asking you to prove over and over and over again that you are low income.

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: 12/1/2023