More students than ever before will have the option of going to college virtually free of charge in San Antonio next fall, through “promise” programs that cover tuition and fees of eligible students entering UTSA, Texas A&M University-San Antonio and all five colleges in the Alamo Colleges District.
But in order to be eligible for the programs, students must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is launching online Sunday. The application’s availability comes months later than usual and with a complete redesign following a piece of legislation called the FAFSA Simplification Act, which was signed into law in 2020.
The so-called soft launch will have the form available “periodically” according to the federal application’s website, which notes that the Education Department will “monitor site performance and update the form to provide you with a better experience.”
The new application will look different, with several key changes that could maximize the amount of funding students can get. The changes, according to the FAFSA website, and UTSA’s admissions website, include:
- There will be fewer questions for students to answer on the application.
- The application will now calculate a Student Aid Index (SAI) instead of the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Students with the highest need may see a negative number.
- Students will now have the option to indicate on the FAFSA form if they have unusual circumstances and request guidance from Financial Aid at UTSA.
- Students with parents who are divorced or separated must now file their FAFSA form with the parent who provided them the most support during the previous year.
- Families will now have to report assets from small businesses and family farms (where they live), if applicable.
- The Student Aid Report (SAR) will now be called “FAFSA Summary”.
- Anyone providing information included in the FAFSA form, including the students, student’s spouse, a biological or adoptive parent, or the parent’s spouse, will be required to create a Federal Student Aid ID in order to access and complete their section of the online form.
- Those contributors will also be required to provide consent and approval to have their federal tax information transferred directly into the student’s FAFSA form via direct data exchange with the IRS.
- Students will be able to list up to 20 colleges on their online FAFSA form and 10 colleges on the FAFSA PDF.
- Users can start or access the FAFSA form by visiting StudentAid.gov and logging in, where they’ll see the link to the FAFSA form on their Dashboard.
As a result of the delayed launch of the application, financial aid priority deadlines for area colleges have also been pushed back to March 15.
There are also changes to the eligibility determination for the Pell Grant, which is a type of financial aid that does not need to be repaid and is awarded only to undergraduate students who display “exceptional financial need” and have not earned a bachelor’s, graduate, or professional degree.
Under the new formula, which takes into consideration family size and the federal poverty level, an estimated 51,296 additional Texans will be eligible for the grant.
According to the National College Attainment Network, Texas graduates in 2022 left $389,915,971 in financial aid on the table by not filling out the free application. With a more simple form, federal officials are hoping that number is cut down.
“When students and families fill out the better FAFSA form, they will find that applying for college financial aid is simpler, easier and faster than ever before,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a news release. “The Biden-Harris Administration’s implementation of the Bipartisan FAFSA Simplification Act modernizes an archaic system, simplifies the form, and improves access for underserved students —representing the most significant overhaul of the federal financial aid application since the Reagan era.”
While the website may currently be unavailable due to maintenance, admissions officials encourage students to create an FSA ID and fill out the application as soon as possible. Here is what you need to have on hand to prepare to fill out the form, according to the FAFSA website:
- Your Social Security Number.
- Your A-Number (if you’re not a U.S. citizen).
- Federal income tax returns, records of child support received; and your current balance of cash, savings, and checking accounts .
- Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable), net worth of investments, businesses and farms.
- Records of untaxed income (if applicable).
- An FSA ID (account username and password) to log in to StudentAid.gov and start the FAFSA form electronically.
