UC Santa Barbara Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships Director Saúl Quiroz announced the simplification of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid in order to streamline the financial aid process in a Nov. 21 email.
“The [Free Application for Federal Student Aid] FAFSA Simplification Act will streamline the process for federal aid applicants, reducing the number of questions on the FAFSA form and providing direct data exchange with the IRS,” the email read.
Changes will also be made to Federal Pell Grant and the California Dream Act application in order to “expand eligibility.”
Additionally, the new FAFSA will require the parent with greater financial input in the last calendar year to fill out the form.
“For students with divorced or separated parents, this may change the parent who files,” the email read.
Students will now also need an FSA ID in order to submit the FAFSA.
These changes will be implemented starting for the 2024-25 application cycle. The form opens on Dec. 31 this year.
A version of this article appeared on p. 4 of the Nov 30, 2023, print edition of the Daily Nexus.
