Top Four Changes to FAFSA and How to Navigate Them

If you are a parent of a high school senior, we know that the thought of your child transitioning to college next year can bring about financial worries. News of changes to Federal Student Aid can add to that worry.

A delayed release date has thrown a wrench into many early decisions, causing many families to worry about making decisions without a clear idea of financial aid eligibility, affecting students whose colleges of choice haven’t extended their early decision deadline.

On top of that, the form is being delayed because they are making changes to it, causing stress for parents who have no idea what the new form will include. But rest assured, the College Counseling Department at Great Hearts is here to remove any unknowns and help you traverse the new landscape of Financial Aid.

Roslyn Fletcher, the Regional Director of College Counseling for Great Hearts Arizona, has helped hundreds of parents and students navigate the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA form, and she is ready to dive right into a few of the changes for the upcoming year so you can be better prepared.

1. New Release Date

According to Fletcher, the first change and likely most felt by parents this year is the delayed availability of the FAFSA form. Instead of being available October 1^st, like previous years, families with children who will be attending college in the fall of 2024 will not be able to access it until December of this year. “The government does plan to return to the October 1^st release starting in 2024,” said Fletcher. “So, if you have a 9^th, 10^th, or 11th grade student, you’ll be able to complete the FAFSA in October of your student’s senior year.”

While that may cause some anxiousness for families who are trying to make an early college discission, Fletcher says the delay comes with some positive changes to the process.

2. Simplified Questions

The FAFSA form has been simplified and the total number of questions has been reduced from 108 to a maximum of 36. This should make the form less time-consuming and more user-friendly.

 3. New Questions

While they have reduced some of the questions asked, there are a few new questions, such as race, ethnicity, and gender. But Fletcher said it is important to note that this information will not be shared with colleges.

4. Student Aid Index

The Student Aid Index, or SAI is replacing the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The aim is to present a more realistic figure about your child’s financial aid eligibility. “The SAI is the number that the Department of Education will use to determine how much money your family can contribute towards your student’s education,” said Fletcher.

For those who want to know what they can do now while they wait for the impending form, Fletcher’s advice for next steps is to visit https://studentaid.gov now to get your FSA ID. The FSA ID is required by both student and parents to complete the form and Fletcher said this will expedite the process when the form is accessible in December if you already have it set up.

There is a lot to navigate when preparing to send your child to college, and the FAFSA is just one hurdle. Don’t forget to lean on your college counselor at your Great Hearts academy and allow them to help you and your scholar navigate the entire process with relative ease. We hope this makes the upcoming FAFSA changes less daunting.

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