Higher Education Opens Doors to Opportunity
The U.S. Department of Education is making transformational changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. The FAFSA form is an application that students and families need to complete to apply for federal student aid, such as federal grants, work-study funds, and loans. Completing and submitting the FAFSA form is free, and it gives students access to the largest source of financial aid to help pay for higher education.
The Better FAFSA is:
- Simple and streamlined.
- Easier to fill out -- many people complete it in under 15 minutes
- Unlocking an additional $1.8 billion in aid.
- 610,000 more students from low-income backgrounds will receive Federal Pell Grants.
- Nearly 1.5 million more students will receive the maximum Pell Grant.
- All students will be able to access the maximum financial aid for which they are eligible.
Better FAFSA Timeline for the 2024-25 Award Year
| NOW |
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|---|---|
| MARCH |
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| THIS SPRING |
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| JULY 1 |
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Note: Your guidance to students and families is critical. Help students and families check critical deadlines for their institutions and states regarding scholarships and enrollment commitments.
High School Educators and College Access Counselors' Checklist
Hold information sessions to help students and families understand the process and timeline for FAFSA submission this year
Support students as they create a studentaid.gov account by giving time to do it with trained school personnel or volunteers.
Set FAFSA completion goals for your or key partners' high schools and use available data to know your school's current submission rate
Train teachers, support staff and volunteers on how to fill out the FAFSA.
Visit ed.gov/better-fafsa to access resources like the Financial Aid Toolkit for counselors and the roadmap for counselors and advocates
Develop a roadmap for your school and community support providers.
- Sign up to receive updates on webinars and other information
Last Updated: 2/16/2024