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President Obama Simplifies the FAFSA for You
By Kathryn Knight
June 24, 2009
In a statement today, the Obama Administration announced sweeping changes to the FAFSA. Families filling out the FAFSA will no longer have to go through such a painstaking process just to see if they qualify for aid. With the new changes, the online FAFSA will see a drop from 30 screens of questions to 10, according to CNN.
The goal, according to the press release issued today by the U.S. Department of Education, is to “increase postsecondary enrollment, particularly among low- and middle-income students” through a more simplified process. Some of these changes have been put into effect already while the rest will span out over the course of a few months, culminating in the January 1, 2010 release of the newer, simpler FAFSA.
Changes to the FAFSA, according to the U.S. Department of Education:
- Instant estimates of Pell Grant and student loan eligibility—went into effect May 2009.
- Skipping questions. If you’re 24 or married, you can skip questions about your parents’ finances. Or if you’re a male over 26, you can pass over questions regarding Selective Service Registration—this change will be made throughout the summer.
- Elimination of 25 financial questions. The FAFSA will ask only financial questions that the IRS asks when citizens are filing their taxes—will go into effect in January.
According to The New York Times, an estimated 1.5 million students do not fill out the FAFSA each school year because of its intricacies. With these changes put in place by the Obama administration, the FAFSA will not only be less daunting but will also enable students to continue their education by making the most important financial aid application easier to understand and thereby complete.
To access the U.S. Department of Education’s press release on the new FAFSA as well as more plans from the Obama Administration’s Agenda for College Affordability, click here.
pugmom
4 months ago
It is wonderful that FAFSA will be easier to complete....however, I feel that the FAFSA should also take into consideration a student and/or family's expected earnings for the year!! Not just what they earned during the previous year. Family situations and earnings can change overnight! The entire FAFSA process doesn't look at current earnings and I think it should!!! I almost had a heart attack when I learned what our EFC was calculated to be. Where are the average & middle class working souls going to find that kind of money???
KristenMack
4 months ago
I think its great that FASFA has been made easier to fill out. It definately will help me within the next few years that I go to school. The only problem that I have with fasfa is that if you are still living at home, it uses your parents income. My parents could not afford to send me to college even with their income and they both re married and had families of their own. I was considered an adult with my own problems when it came to funds for my education. Luckly, I managed to get a grant to pay for my tuition.
kiesha08
4 months ago
AND MARY C I DNT AGREE WITH ALL OF WHAT YOUR SAYING....MAYBE IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE YOU DID THIS, BUT YES THEY MAKE IT VERY HARD FOR SOMEONE WITH NO INCOME BUT THE MONEY TO LIVE, TO EVEN GET FUNDED FOR SCHOOL.....N SEE WERE NOT LAZY STUDENTS, WERE JUST TIRED OF THE FACT OF WORKING SO HARD AND GETTING NO WHERE....SO THINK B4 U SPEAK BECAUSE U NEVER KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES.....THANKS
kiesha08
4 months ago
AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY STILL MAKE IT HARD FOR YOU TO GET FINACIAL AID.....I AM 22 YEARS OLD AND AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT, WHOM WORKS 40+ ODD HOURS A WEEK AND TAKE CARE OF ME AND NO KIDS....BUT BECAUSE I WORK AND HAVE NO KIDS, BUT I DO TAKE CARE OF MY BROTHERS CHILD, THEY WILL ONLY COVER ME IN SCHOOL FOR UP TO 7 CREDIT HOURS....SO F*** THE GOVERNMENT N ALL OF THEM BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY THEY STILL DON'T GIVE A F*** AS LONG AS THEY GET THEIR CHECKS.....
Destiny9193
4 months ago
Hello haters,
It appears those who comment about the welfare crowd do not understand that they are poor and they will get far more resources than you haters. The president has made the burden easier for me the Middle Class parent who has a son who is 23. He requires my income report! I remember being the poor that you speak of with so much hate! I managed to graduate school thanks to the financial aid resources available in the 70's 80's but no thanks to a president I shall leave nameless, who cut out education resource when he came in office. I even managed to becaome a teacher and not GET on WELFARE OR GENERAL RELIEF! (White rural welfare) As far as illegal aliens...they cannot receive aide in my state unless they are legal I thought that was the same for the nation?
MaryC836
4 months ago
To LilliannaC - thank you and to JoshuaG, I understand. This is Marys Dad posting the comments. JoshuaG, we are in the same economics ... our contribution was 5 months of take home pay and the take is decreasing again this year ... hey what are luxuries and retirement? you sometimes just have to laugh in the face of insaneness of the system. Fortunately when our financial death occured after 911, I sat my kids down and told them the college fund was gone, my daughter looked at me and said "don't worry dad, I will get a scholarship", which she did for 2 years of JUCO, but now we face the final 2 yrs and trying all avenues to get help. I know we are not any different than many other middle class families in what we face, but we (the working class) seem to find ways to get by.. we do what we must, ...we pull together as family and go forward. In a couple of years my daughter will get her degree and I WILL be there cheering her on!
JoshuaG1209
4 months ago
What bugs me about the FAFSA is that it is based on GROSS income. That isn't take home money we can spend. My husband's gross income is more than DOUBLE his take home pay-then taxes, health and life insurance, parking fees, etc., etc. take it all away. The FAFSA estimator said we should be able to pay an amount that was fully 8 months of his take home pay BEFORE financial aid would be considered! And he makes substantially less than 100,000 and I am on Social Security disability-AND we'll be over 62 when our only child graduates from college-so-how do we eat or pay a mortgage on 4 months salary per year AND retire before age 80 if we have to pay it all in loans. The middle class is royally SHAFTED in this whole contribution thing. We are carrying the weight of the whole economy-including all our school taxes-and those alone are another 2 full months of his take home pay. We just can't find anymore things to cut-we have ZERO luxuries or expenditures now!
LilliannaC
4 months ago
I agree with MaryC836. for putting it out there! My daughters are twenty something and are as you said and I feel for them but I can't always help them I have to stay above water as a middle class student working for my nitch in the work force. Your message should be on billboards and if I could afford it I would state it.
Texan wiggely angel
RyanR46
4 months ago
I agree with Amanda. Middle class and average is not a good place to be. You have too much to get assistance and not enough to assist yourself.
MaryC836
4 months ago
Obama did promise change .. and his delivering on it ... changing the US to a socialist system ...once healthcare bill is passed the US Govt will control 46% of the GNP... Germany and France Govt's control 47% ... you that voted for him got your change
AmandaH2501
4 months ago
Instead of worrying about changing a form, the administration need to worry about helping middle class families whose kids are average or a little above qualify for assistance. Seems as if the middle class is on the short end of the education stick. Obama promised change--let's see it!!
JuanI21
4 months ago
great stuff!
AnaE2
4 months ago
That is just wonderful. I knew that he was the right man to make the US a better place. Thank you so much Mr. President.
MaryC836
4 months ago
The FAFSA still penalizes families that have incomes but due to past economics are struggling to get by. Many families that have faced layoffs in the recent economy when they get back to work they may have spent all their savings and maxed out all the credit they have but they will treated the same as another family making the same income.
And the comment that 1.5 million students don't fill out FAFSA because of intricacies? That means only one thing they are too lazy to take the time and it doesn't surpise adults, these students are of the I want it now and I don't want to have to work for it or take time from my party time to fillsomething out.
AsmaA12
4 months ago
!!!!!! :)