FAFSA

Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) of 2010 changed the criteria for suspension of eligibility for drug-related offenses.

[10] By law, fee-based FAFSA preparation services must on initial contact with students inform them of the free option and be transparent about their non-affiliation with the U.S. Department of Education and their fees.

[15][16] SwiftStudent, a free service, provides template letters for college students to use when appealing their financial aid.

[18] FAFSA originally came from the 1965 Higher Education Act (HEA) by President Lyndon Johnson, which established that the United States Government would be the primary provider of financial aid for students.

When Congress reauthorized the HEA in 1992 they created a standardized federal form for all prospective students seeking aid.

[23] The original FAFSA form had 108 questions, which was a significant barrier for many low-income families seeking financial aid.

[22] The questions were broadly seen as excessively detailed and unnecessarily complicated, with students being required to dedicate several hours to completing their application.

[4] The Consolidated Appropriations Act also opened financial aid eligibility to students that had previously been excluded from the program.

Some of these changes were initially plagued with technical errors and glitches, causing significant delays in the release of data to colleges and universities and considerable confusion and frustration among parents and students.

[25][26] The problems with the FAFSA resulted in a congressional hearing where witnesses reported that the multiple errors and delays in releasing data to colleges and universities could significantly diminish enrollment.

Richard Cordray, the Department of Education employee in charge of Federal Student Aid, subsequently announced his resignation at the end of June.

Many are urging changes to the FAFSA application process in order to resolve these technical issues and guarantee fair access to financial assistance.