If you filled out an online FAFSA before 2009, you probably noticed the process took about an hour. You were inundated with questions that didn’t apply to you. This is because the online application didn’t interact with your responses to the questions – at all.
The old FAFSA was basically the full paper form online. You had to scroll through the full application to find the questions you needed to answer. For example, if you answered yes to any of a series of questions about being an independent student, the instructions would say skip questions about parental incomes. Fortunately, the form changed slowly throughout 2009 to streamline the process. It’s now easier to use and will provide more direct feedback about how much financial aid a particular student is eligible to receive. (Not all student loans are the same. Know what you’re getting into before signing on the dotted line, read College Loans: Private Vs. Federal.)
Why The Application Changed
Many potential borrowers thought the process of applying for student aid was too complicated. Over a hundred questions seemed more like an endurance test than a way to get student aid. Thus, the Department of Education redesigned the online application to be more responsive to students’ answers. In 2009, the Department of Education estimates that there are more than 1.5 million students who are eligible to apply for student aid but will not fill out a form.
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