Education
BY ATIRIKTA KUMAR
FAFSA changes, delays lead to decrease in application numbers
Also of note
The delayed roll out likely impacted students from low-income families because affordability comes into question, said Carla Fletcher, a research consultant at Trellis Strategies. The revamped FAFSA also impacts students whose parents do not have a Social Security number, 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, to apply for state aid at participating higher education institutions. The U.S. Department of Education said next year’s form will open on or before Dec. 1.
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
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.
effects on graduating seniors, said Bryan Ashton, managing director at Trellis Strategies, a research and consulting firm focused on postsecondary education.
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