What to Know About FAFSA Changes (Filing in 2021 for the 2022-2023 School Year)

Today is October 1st, which means it’s the day that the FAFSA opens at FAFSA.gov and we can get a first look at the supposed changes. 

That’s the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and it’s your first step for things like need-based scholarships and grants, things like loans and work study, and a whole host of other things that can help make college more affordable for a lot of college students for the ’22-’23 school year. 

Back in December of 2020, Congress passed the omnibus spending bill, and included in that was a provision that said the FAFSA had to get cut down from the usual 108 questions to 36 questions to make filing the FAFSA easier. 

They didn’t say which questions had to get cut and which could remain, so we’ve all been waiting for today to find out. And now that the day is here, other than a little bit of a facelift, it has not changed at all. It is the same 108 questions, which means that the 36 question cut will likely come next school year. 

But that means the FAFSA is open now, with no surprises and no changes. So get moving to FAFSA.gov, and if you have more questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 732-556-8220. We are here to help.