Arizona students will have an easier time completing FAFSA this year

TEMPE — The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is getting an upgrade that will make the process faster and simpler for Arizona students and their families.

The FAFSA form is used to assess whether college students qualify for federal aid, including loans and grants. Most colleges require students to submit the FAFSA annually.

Quintin Boyce, associate vice president of educational outreach at Arizona State University, told KTAR News 92.3 FM that a new version of the FAFSA forms has been going through beta testing at multiple high schools in the state.

“I’ve seen iterations where it’s been a little clunky, it’s been a little tough and it requires persistence to kind of get through the process,” Boyce said. “That won’t be the experience this year.”

How easy is Arizona’s new FAFSA form?

Students will be able to complete the form in 15-20 minutes this year, which could increase the number of students and families finishing the application, Boyce said.

The new version of the FAFSA forms will be available to the public on Oct. 1.

Boyce said streamlining the process makes it much easier and less likely for students to leave potential aid on the table.

“I have a senior that’s going through the experience. And that’s really interesting because working in the space, I thought I knew everything, but I became incredibly vulnerable when my kid is now going through the process,” Boyce said.

The FAFSA committee is also working on getting more high school seniors to fill out the FAFSA form. Boyce said the process is going well, and the form is now part of the routine when students collect their books and IDs.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

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