Education
BY ATIRIKTA KUMAR
FAFSA changes, delays lead to decrease in application numbers
Also of note
The delayed rollout of the form in 2023 is likely to impact students from low-income families because affordability comes into question, said Carla Fletcher, a research consultant at Trellis Strategies. “I think we are going to see some impacts on who is completing the FAFSA and then who is moving on to make decisions about their education because their financial aid packages have been delayed,” Fletcher said. “And so that can really impact their decision making. They might not know which school they can truly afford because they don’t know what kind of aid they’re getting.” Students whose parents do not have a Social Security number have also been “adversely impacted” by the recent FAFSA changes, Ashton said. Texans who do not qualify for FAFSA may be eligible to apply for the Texas Application for State Financial Aid. In 2001, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 1528, which allowed students who are not U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents or eligible noncitizens, who are not eligible for federal aid, to apply for state aid at participating higher education institutions. Learn more about TASFA eligibility at www.highered.texas.gov. The U.S. Department of Education has said next year’s FAFSA form is set to open for all students on or before Dec. 1, according to an Aug. 7 news release.
Fewer high schoolers have applied for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid this year than in 2023, according to data from the National College Attainment Network. The form, which usually becomes available Oct. 1, was delayed by almost three months due to changes made to the application. It was not available for students until Dec. 31. In 2022, U.S. Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act. The revamped application came with fewer questions, a new way of calculating how much aid students qualify for, and a direct exchange of data between the Internal Revenue Service and FAFSA, according to the U.S. Department of Education. However, the delayed application process likely caused a decrease in the number of FAFSA applications, and this will have lasting effects
FAFSA completion rates in Texas
65%
65% 60% 0% 50% 55%
54.5%
54%
SOURCE: TRELLIS STRATEGIES/COMMUNITY IMPACT *THE FAFSA SUBMISSION REQUIREMENT WENT INTO EFFECT IN TEXAS.
on graduating seniors, said Bryan Ashton, managing director at Trellis Strategies, a research and consulting firm focused on postsecondary education.
FAFSA completion rates
Zooming in
Class of 2023 Comal ISD seniors
As of the end of June, 54.5% of Texas’ class of 2024 had completed a FAFSA form, down from about 61% at the same time last year. Despite the decrease in total applications completed nationwide and statewide, Texas is ranked sixth in overall applications completed, according to the National College Attainment Network. Ashton said he believes this is in part due to a state law passed in 2019 requiring all graduating seniors to either complete a financial aid application or formally opt out.
1,048
-18.51%
Class of 2024
854
New Braunfels ISD seniors
Class of 2023 Class of 2024 378 326
-13.26%
SOURCE: NATIONAL COLLEGE ATTAINMENT NETWORK/COMMUNITY IMPACT
$5OFF YOUR NEXT ART KIT
PRIMARY LOGO
HORIZONTAL VARIATION
MARK ART CLASSES AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS AT HOME ART KITS AND MORE!
ELEMENTS with code artkit5 Expires 12/31/24
MARK
COLORS
COLORS
830.609.9292 www.AllaPrimaArtStudio.com 1386 Industrial Dr, Ste 100, New Braunfels, TX 78130
Historic Downtown New Braunfels
13
NEW BRAUNFELS EDITION
Powered by FlippingBook