On Monday Sept. 13, President Barack Obama announced that students will be able to start filing for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in October rather than the known January date.
The Obama Administration’s goal is to make it easier for students and parents to be able to obtain information regarding their child’s eligibility for financial aid and with hopes in helping guide them in their school choices for college. The administration has already changed the online form in the past by eliminating questions they felt were irrelevant to families. They have also focused on making the application process to complete, which on average is 20 minutes, by eliminating up to 30 questions in the application.
Prospective college students start the application process from October- November and file for FAFSA in January. During that gap most students have no idea if they will be able to obtain any financial aid leaving them blind to which schools they can or cannot afford to attend.  With the ability to start in October students will be able to see how their finances will have an effect on their passageway through college.
Most students and families do not attempt to apply to college because they do not believe they can get accepted because of finances. With the eliminating of questions that are felt to be unnecessary to the acceptation or rejection of financial aid the initiative hopes it will allow more students to obtain Pell Grants and other aid needed.
Starting Oct. 1 2016 FAFSA will also start automatically filling out the information it needs for applications by receiving information directly from the IRS. The new system will use taxes from the commonly used phrase “prior-prior” year to do so. By using this system it will not only help students and parents finish the application process faster but also help those who work on verifying FAFSA information yearly.
With all the changes that this initiative is doing you’re wondering if it sounds too good to be true. Everyone seems to be on board, with scholarships offices agreeing to adjust their financial aid advising and award calendars. Thanks Obama!