BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The FAFSA process will look a lot different this year for prospective and current college students hoping to receive financial aid.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid will open in December — instead of its usual October 1st release date.
One of the major differences between this new application and the old one is length.
James Nowak, Associate Director of Enrollment and Financial Aid Operations at Canisius University, told 7 News that rather than a maximum of 109 questions, this application won't have more than 35 questions for students and parents to complete.
"You're going to see a lot of the same questions that you're used to seeing in terms of demographic information," Nowak said. "All of the income information is going to come directly from the IRS."
This year, the IRS will be verifying applicant income through Direct Data Exchange to streamline the application process.
"If you're not familiar with it [financial aid], if your parents don't do that kind of stuff, then it can be a little confusing and a little intimidating," Ethan Gordon, a freshman at Canisius University, said. "The simpler the better as long as it's digestible and understandable ..."
With this new FAFSA process, more students from low-income backgrounds will be eligible for a Pell Grant — the largest educational grant program in the country.
Nowak said for a student to be considered for this grant, all they need to do is apply as normal.
"FAFSA is the application for the Pell, and it's also your application for all aid sources from the federal government as well as from every institution that you include on your FAFSA," Nowak said.
Another change will include an increased number of universities students can have on their FAFSA list. Previously, students could include 10 schools, but, this year, that number has jumped to 20.
However, the application window being pushed back could bring new challenges. The main issue involves a smaller decision window for students to choose their school.
"We're not going to see anyone's back-end FAFSA information until the end of January," Nowak said. "So the reality is we're going to be sending students award letters in mid-to-late February, and expecting them to make a decision by May 1st."
Gordon said less time to make a big decision could pose an issue for some students.
"If you can't afford to go to a school, you don't want to commit to it ... I was a little up in the air when I was deciding, and I'm glad I had that time," Gordon said.
If you are taking part in FAFSA, this website will be the hub of your application.
Recommended steps for tackling this year's new FAFSA:
- Create your Federal Student Aid ID "FSA ID" now. It takes up to 48 hours to be approved. This will put you in the best position to complete the form when it opens.
- Wait to hear that FAFSA has opened. Complete it right away.
- Submit your New York State Tuition Assistance Program "TAP" form directly after. TAP used to be included in the FAFSA application, but must be filled out separately this year.
