Transformative Steps for Higher Education Access
In a significant development, the U.S. Department of Education, led by Secretary Miguel Cardona, has provided updates on the ongoing Better FAFSA® implementation for the 2024–25 academic year. These efforts aim to enhance the transformative potential of Better FAFSA, ensuring increased accessibility to higher education for a broader spectrum of students.
Aligning Aid Calculation with FAFSA Simplification Act
As part of the final preparations for processing FAFSA forms in March, the Department has updated the calculation of aid amounts. This adjustment aligns seamlessly with the FAFSA Simplification Act. Importantly, this update will not impact the timeline for delivering completed applications to schools in the first half of March. Through this measure, combined with other implementation efforts, the Department anticipates that 7.3 million students will be eligible for Pell Grants in the 2024–25 award year.
Implementation Milestones and Outreach
Since the release of the new 2024–25 FAFSA form on December 30, more than 4.7 million forms have been successfully submitted. The Department is actively collaborating with colleges and vendors to implement updates and provide technical support through its FAFSA College Support Strategy. This strategy involves deploying federal personnel, allocating $50 million in technical assistance, and offering tools to streamline the processing of student records.
Support for Lower-Resourced Colleges
In the next week, the Department will initiate support to lower-resourced colleges as part of its FAFSA College Support Strategy. Personnel from the Office of Federal Student Aid and nonprofit organizations will conduct needs assessments and provide dedicated assistance to schools preparing for and processing student aid offer packages. The Department, having received inquiries from over 100 institutions, is proactively identifying and addressing the specific needs of each college.
Streamlining Record Processing
This week, the Department will send system-generated test student records (Institutional Student Information Records, or ISIRs) to schools and their vendors. These test ISIRs are crucial in enabling schools to finalize their systems for processing student records efficiently, starting in the first half of March. This initiative builds upon the test ISIRs shared with colleges earlier this month, with ongoing updates and open-source tools stored in a public Department repository leading up to the processing date.
Continued Progress and Inclusivity
Today's announcements mark a continuation of the Department's progress in implementing the Better FAFSA form, ensuring all students can access the maximum financial aid available for their higher education goals. Notably, contributors without a Social Security number can now successfully submit FAFSA forms in March. Additionally, the Department has outlined a process for students affected by this issue, allowing them to submit an incomplete FAFSA form before the matter is fully resolved, particularly for state and institutional aid or scholarship deadlines.
