With chilly days ahead, area students planning on attending college during the 2024-25 academic year have the opportunity to curl up under a blanket and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is now open at studentaid.gov.
EducationQuest stated via press release that the opening was delayed this year due to a legislatively mandated application overhaul by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA).
“The Department of Education has indicated that some interruptions in availability of the form could happen as they work to make website fixes and upgrades”, said EducationQuest Foundation President and CEO Liz Koop.
The FAFSA process starts with both student and parent(s) creating an FSA ID on the site. The verification of that ID can take up to three days, and federal income tax returns and other financial asset information from 2022 are required to complete the application. Students must resubmit their FAFSA each year they plan to attend college to receive federal aid.
According to a report by the National College Attainment Network, 2022 high school seniors left $3.58 billion on the table in Pell Grants. Just over $21 million of that was left on the table by the class of 2022 in Nebraska.
