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# The Better FAFSA: What High School Educators and College Access Counselors Need to Know

# The Better FAFSA: What High School Educators and College Access Counselors Need to Know

                                    -        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 YearNOW- Students and families should complete and submit the 2024-25 FAFSA form 
MARCH- The Department begins transmitting FAFSA information to schools and state agencies for processing
THIS SPRING- Colleges review FAFSA information for students who applied for admission   
- Colleges start sending aid packages to students 
JULY 1- FAFSA award year starts 

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
   -  Posted in: Federal AidStudent Financial AidFAFSA
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