How streamlined FAFSA financial aid form will help more Missouri students pay for college

Claudette Riley, Springfield News-Leader
·3 min read

There has been an overhaul to the free federal application students must fill out to seek need-based financial aid for college.

The U.S. Department of Education has officially released the streamlined, and far less confusing, Free Application for Federal Student Aid — widely known as FAFSA — for the 2024-25 year.

The new form will be available by Dec. 31.

Coupled with an update to how student aid is calculated, the redesigned form is expected to result in 610,000 more students eligible for the Federal Pell Grant.

“When students and families fill out the better FAFSA form, they will find that applying for college financial aid is simpler, easier, and faster than ever before,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, in a news release.

Cardona said the implementation of the Bipartisan FAFSA Simplification Act "modernizes an archaic system, simplifies the form, and improves access for underserved students" and resulted in the most significant overhaul of the federal financial aid application since the 1980s.

"These bold changes will ultimately put affordable higher education within reach of more Americans, including 610,000 students from low-income families who will become eligible for Pell Grants for the very first time," he said in the release.

The change will link eligibility more closely to family size and federal poverty level, which is expected to expand the level of access.

“Pell Grants are a critical lifeline for millions of students and families to attend college or career school and pursue the American dream,” said Federal Student Aid Chief Operating Officer Richard Cordray, in the release.

“We are deeply committed to making sure students from all backgrounds can easily apply for and receive the federal student aid they need through the better FAFSA form. In every state and the District of Columbia, more students than ever before will benefit from greater access to Pell Grants.”

Nationally, 34% of undergraduate students receive a Pell Grant, which is based on family income and financial need, according to the Education Data Initiative. The amount fluctuates based on need but averages $4,491. This year, the maximum amount is $6,895.

Half of all Pell Grant recipients are from families that earn $20,000 or less annually.

This year, the total number of Pell Grant recipients in Missouri was 125,404 and the average award was $4,832.

In Missouri, the number of students qualifying for a Pell Grant is expected to go up by 10,919 for the 2024-25 year, according to details provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

Nationally, 1.5 million more students from low-income backgrounds are expected to qualify for the maximum amount including 24,540 in Missouri.

Here are a few additional changes to the FAFSA intended to improve access and Pell Grant eligibility:

  • Students experiencing homelessness or who are unable to obtain their parents' income information because they are not in touch with their parents will be able to complete the form and receive a provisional eligibility calculation;

  • Quick links to help students answer the most frequently asked questions will be embedded in the form;

  • There are fewer questions. A student may only have to fill out 18-44 questions, based on their situation, down from 103 possible questions last year. Irrelevant questions can be skipped.

Claudette Riley covers education for the News-Leader. Email tips and story ideas to criley@news-leader.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: How streamlined FAFSA form will help more MO students pay for college