Introduction
As we move toward the next reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, Congress and the higher education community have identified a need for simplification, particularly as it relates to the federal student aid application process. While no one can precisely predict when we will have a final reauthorization, it is unlikely to occur in 2020 given the pandemic and presidential election, allowing more time to advocate for simplification of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The overall goal of FAFSA simplification is to make the process easier for students and schools while also maintaining program integrity.
In summer 2019, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), with generous funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, commissioned a 10-paper series written by FAFSA experts that explores ways to make the FAFSA and the overall federal student aid process more efficient and streamlined for applicants and their families. These papers were designed to update previous work on FAFSA efficiency and determine its validity in 2020.
The papers in this series explored:
1. The impact of new federal tax returns on a FAFSA simplification proposal.
2. The struggle between FAFSA completion and verification.
3. Using means-tested benefits to reduce paperwork and maximize student aid.
4. Using federal tax returns in place of the FAFSA.
5. Different FAFSA simplification methods and their effects.
6. The impact of verification on the enrollment of low-income college students.
7. The effects of allowing a negative expected family contribution (EFC).
8. Free college programs and their impact on the FAFSA.
9. The implications of using a one-time FAFSA.
10. The effectiveness of Federal Methodology (FM) in assessing a family’s ability to contribute.