The Free Application for Federal Student Aid has been updated over the last two years in hopes of making the process more convenient for students.
FAFSA now allows students to access IRS data directly from the form. In 2016, the application became available three months earlier — in October — and moved which year’s tax returns were required back a year.
Matthew Ribe, the senior director of legislative affairs and corporate secretary at the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, said the FAFSA has gotten more comprehensive through the years.
“This year, the Department of Education incorporated privacy protections into the FAFSA process to deter identity thieves,” he said. “Income information will not be visible to you as you fill out the form. Student applicants should check with their family to ensure their federal tax returns have been submitted properly.”
Eric Johnson, a spokesperson for the UNC Office of Scholarships and Student Aid, said the changes made last year were successful.
“The move to an earlier FAFSA cycle — with the form available in October instead of January and families using year-older tax data — has really helped smooth out the process both for students and for colleges,” he said. “The financial aid community had been pushing for this change for years, and we’re really pleased that it finally happened and seems to be working well.”
The change to earlier tax data eliminates the need to estimate income or update the FAFSA after filing taxes.
Johnson said having the FAFSA available earlier allows students to have more financial information when picking schools.
“By opening the FAFSA earlier, families have more time to complete it, colleges have more time to process it and most students at UNC got an earlier answer about their financial aid than they have in previous years,” he said. “That allows more time to consider all of your college options and make the best financial choice.”
