As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to higher education, the Treasury and Education Departments are working together to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form.  In fact, according to a press release posted last month by the Department of Education, some changes have already been put in place.

If you have ever filled out the FAFSA, you know what a confusing, complicated and time-consuming process it can be.  This coupled with the danger that any wrong answer can greatly reduce your benefits (or eliminate them altogether) has contributed to this process being an unnecessary obstacle for low and middle income students.

So what changes can you expect when you fill out the FAFSA for next semester?

• If you are at least 24 or married, you can skip the 11 questions that require you to enter information about your parents’ income.
• If you are a man older than 26, you will be allowed to skip the question about Selective Service.
• You will be provided with an instant estimate of your Pell grant and student loan eligibility, including approximate amounts.

More Help on the Horizon

But that is not all!  Come January, if you are a low-income student you will no longer be asked for information on your assets.  Also, only returning students will be asked questions about prior drug convictions since the answer to this question does not affect aid for first time students.

The Department of Education points out that the FAFSA, in its present form, asks you to fill out information that in 90 percent of cases the Federal government already has, which is why another big change is coming in January.  You will soon have the ability to automatically retrieve your tax return information from the IRS and input it into the FAFSA online form.

New Legislation on the Way

According to the press release, “Each student is asked as many as 153 questions, most of which have little or no effect on actual financial aid packages.”  This is one reason why Congress also has plans to pass legislation that will eliminate questions on the form that can not be answered by information on your tax returns.  This means no more gathering bank statements, investment documents, and other information on untaxed income!

All of this will be a huge help to students.  And it will definitely make President Obama’s goal of having the largest proportion of college graduates in the world more attainable.  Now it is your turn to do your part – enroll in school today!