The U.S. Department of Education launched the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) early. Enhancements to these procedures will enable local school-based and human service teams to connect students and families in need with vital resources more efficiently.
As previously covered on Conduit Street, updates to modernize and enhance the federal student aid application process have been underway. As of last Thursday, the U.S. Department of Education made the new application available in advance of the previous December 1st deadline. The changes came following a legislative mandate to simplify the application process due to widespread reports of glitches, errors, delays, and confusion back in 2020.
Not only are these changes positive news for high-school and college students, these updates are helping to streamline the assistance that local school and human service based professionals are providing in order to improve service connection and long term outcomes for students across Maryland. Challenges around affordability of higher education are a known priority of the Maryland General Assembly and these changes have the potential to bolster those efforts and give local student support professionals a more useful tool in the toolbox.
