Spring Break
FAFSA online form simplified under changes
Naomi Parikh
Issue date: 7/3/09 Section: News
"Changes where you need to see information from other federal agencies are more difficult to implement, because they require intra-agency communication," Englund said. "Changes to law will be the most difficult."
The third bulk of proposed changes includes having the Internal Revenue Service provide financial information from tax forms. According to the press release, the IRS could answer up to 20 questions for students.
Englund said taking the appropriate values from already-filed taxes and entering them in the FAFSA would be the next big step after filling in other previously-reported information for students to verify.
"Every step will help, but I think that without a number of the steps happening, it will not simplify the form dramatically," Englund said. "We can't overhaul the system in one fell swoop, but any one change that can help some families or cut down time by even 10 percent does add up."
The Continuing Students Financial Aid Appeals Committee helps students whose financial status changes during the school year to find other state or federal resources, Englund added. Students fill out a form for the committee, which includes representatives from every college, the financial aid office, and the Provost's office, and the committee makes specific recommendations.
"We haven't seen a significant increase in the number of students who have gone through the committee, but there's always certain number of families who have a significant change in finances during the year," Englund said. "Most families figure out in the beginning of the year how to pay for the undergraduate bill, though."
Past changes to the FAFSA include simplifying the process for obtaining a PIN number online and an "auto reset" for those who forget or lose their PIN.
The third bulk of proposed changes includes having the Internal Revenue Service provide financial information from tax forms. According to the press release, the IRS could answer up to 20 questions for students.
Englund said taking the appropriate values from already-filed taxes and entering them in the FAFSA would be the next big step after filling in other previously-reported information for students to verify.
"Every step will help, but I think that without a number of the steps happening, it will not simplify the form dramatically," Englund said. "We can't overhaul the system in one fell swoop, but any one change that can help some families or cut down time by even 10 percent does add up."
The Continuing Students Financial Aid Appeals Committee helps students whose financial status changes during the school year to find other state or federal resources, Englund added. Students fill out a form for the committee, which includes representatives from every college, the financial aid office, and the Provost's office, and the committee makes specific recommendations.
"We haven't seen a significant increase in the number of students who have gone through the committee, but there's always certain number of families who have a significant change in finances during the year," Englund said. "Most families figure out in the beginning of the year how to pay for the undergraduate bill, though."
Past changes to the FAFSA include simplifying the process for obtaining a PIN number online and an "auto reset" for those who forget or lose their PIN.
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