{"id":10970,"date":"2024-01-25T10:36:57","date_gmt":"2024-01-25T10:36:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/?p=10970"},"modified":"2024-01-25T10:36:57","modified_gmt":"2024-01-25T10:36:57","slug":"new-fafsa-changes-could-help-black-students-afford-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/25\/new-fafsa-changes-could-help-black-students-afford-college\/","title":{"rendered":"New FAFSA Changes Could Help Black Students Afford College"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"By Alecia Taylor<\/strong>
\nHoward University News Service<\/strong><\/p>\n

Students and parents may be wondering why this year\u2019s October went by like a breeze: no fussing, fighting or trying to find that piece of paper with the parental login for the Free Application Federal Student Student Aid form (FAFSA).<\/p>\n

Usually, FAFSA opens at midnight on Oct. 1 each year, but this year it opened on Dec. 31 and will close June 30, 2024. However, the opening of the application is not the only change. Families should expect a significant decrease in questions, new language on the form and possibly larger grants for some students.<\/p>\n

Instead of 108 questions, families will only have to fill out 36 questions. In addition, the IRS will directly import federal tax information, with the user\u2019s consent, instead of applicants having to enter it manually.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe found the FAFSA is not just a hassle that people dread filling out but it\u2019s also so complicated that it\u2019s a meaningful obstacle to people getting help to go to college,\u201d said James Kvaal, the Under Secretary at the Department of Education.<\/p>\n

Kvaal said the goal is to make sure that the financial aid system is effective at giving people access to college degrees.<\/p>\n

With the form\u2019s new makeover, more than 600,000 additional students will become eligible for Pell Grants.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur hope is to reach Black students and help them understand the resources that are available and that, you know, college may be more affordable than you think,\u201d the Under Secretary said.<\/p>\n

Over 70% of Black students receive loans compared to 56% of their white counterparts, according to the National Center for Higher Education. Black students were also the highest demographic to rely on Pell Grants, with Hispanic students following close behind.<\/p>\n

The extra Pell Grant money comes from Congress and is included in the overall federal budget. Kvaal said President Biden thinks this is \u201cone of the best investments\u201d the country could make and hopes to double the Pell Grant by 2029 if elected for a second term.<\/p>\n

While there are certainly behind-the-scenes changes to FAFSA, families can expect other changes when filling out the form.<\/p>\n

The Expected Family Contribution, commonly known as an EFC score, is being replaced with the Student Aid Index (SAI). Like the EFC score, the SAI will determine a student\u2019s ability to pay for college. With the EFC score, the minimum contribution was zero, while the new SAI\u2019s minimum is -1,500.<\/p>\n

For first-time families \u2013 or those who may be a little rusty \u2013 filling out the form, the U.S. Department of Education has been rolling out a series of training to ensure schools, educators and nonprofits have the tools to help families navigate the new form.<\/p>\n

Cait Belney, D,C. Public Schools Manager of the College Alumni Support program said the Department of Education made sure staff members are trained to answer any questions families may have for this upcoming FAFSA season.<\/p>\n

Back in August, DCPS and other school districts, colleges, universities and libraries attended a national training on navigating the new form. The training was co-hosted by the Federal Student Aid and the National College Team.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Federal Student Aid is] working really hard to connect with state higher education agencies, college access and public school systems,\u201d Belney said. \u201cI do think they\u2019re doing their best while also trying to rebuild from scratch an entire system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Educators may have gotten the memo for the new changes, but some parents aren\u2019t confident in the Department of Education\u2019s communication about FAFSA.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure that the Department of Education has done the best job of being inclusive in their approaches,\u201d said Tameika Pope, a parent of two undergraduate students at historically Black colleges. \u201cI see room for improvement on that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The changes may seem sudden to some, but Pope noticed small changes dating back to 2020, which made her search for more information about upcoming changes for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 application.<\/p>\n

This cycle\u2019s changes are a direct result of the\u00a0FAFSA Simplification Act<\/a>. However, modification started in the 2021-22 application with the removal of limitations on those enlisted in the military as well as removing questions about drug convictions and the restoration of Pell Grants for incarcerated individuals.<\/p>\n

Now, questions that Kvaal called \u201cobscure\u201d will be eliminated to ensure more students have access to grants, according to the Department of Education.<\/p>\n

Pope said she\u2019s gotten the majority of her information from the\u00a0announcement section of Federal Student Aid site<\/a>. Still, she worries that people who are not tech-savvy are missing out on useful information about the changes.<\/p>\n

Kvaal said Federal Student Aid is working with educators and nonprofits to get the word out.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have one of the most diverse systems of higher education in the world, and there are a lot of choices for young people,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have resources available to help them consider their college options and make informed decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n

As of right now, this year is the only exception for a delayed opening of the applications. Students and parents can expect the application to open on its usual Oct. 1 date in 2024.<\/p>\n

Alecia Taylor is an education reporter for HUNewsService.com and a Spring Intern for the Chronicle of Higher Education.<\/em><\/p>\n

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