Changes coming to FAFSA: What you need to know
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The Free Application for Federal Student Aid form just got shorter.
The changes could affect federal aid eligibility for both current and future college students.
"The most difficult part for me is the fact that I have to just re-enter the same information for two students," mother Jill McConnell said. "It would be nice if things just kind of transferred over into the second student's application."
McConnell is doubling up this upcoming year.
"We have two teenage kids," she said. "One is finishing up his junior year in college and the second one will be starting her freshman year in college next year."
The next time she fills out each of their FAFSA forms, it will be more user-friendly and take less time. There are just 36 questions now instead of 108.
The federal government hopes the changes encourage more families to complete the form. Changes include changing the term "expected family contribution" to "student aid index," clarifying it's not the amount families should pay but a way to assess a student's financial need; more students should get access to Pell grants; and the discount for parents with multiple kids in college will go away.
"I would love to see opportunities more for grants, not loans," McConnell said.
One of the most confusing changes is for kids with divorced or separated parents. Right now, the parent with custody or who the student lives with the majority of the time fills out the form. But with the changes, the parent who provides the most financial support for the student fills out the form with his or her financial information.
For students with married parents or unmarried parents that live together, either parent can fill it out.