Streamlined FAFSA Application
The FAFSA has fewer questions and an easier way to transfer tax information directly
from the IRS.
The FAFSA Simplification Act specifies which questions can be asked on the FAFSA and
prohibits the U.S. Department of Education (ED) from asking FAFSA questions that are
unnecessary for Title IV federal student aid.
IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) Replaced
The IRS DRT will be replaced with the Direct Data Exchange (DDX).
- Everyone (students, spouses (if applicable), and parents) will need to consent to have their
Federal Tax Information (FTI) imported into the FTI module.
- To provide consent, the individual will need to access the FAFSA with an FSA ID that
has been matched with the Social Security Administration (SSA).
- Federal tax filers will have their tax information imported into the FTI module. No
tax income will transfer into the FAFSA, but tax data will be sent to the colleges
listed on the FAFSA.
- Non-tax filers must also check the box to consent. When IRS Data is accessed, the
process will verify non-filing status.
Benefits to Students, Families, and Borrowers
The Student Aid Index (SAI) has replaced the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) on
the FAFSA form. Students and families will see a different measure of their ability
to pay for college and experience a change in the methodology used to determine aid.
In addition to the SAI, the FAFSA Simplification Act has expand the Federal Pell Grant
to more students and link eligibility to family size and the federal poverty level.
New eligibility formulas and funding are estimated to increase Pell Grant recipients
by nearly 15%. Incarcerated students will regain the ability to receive a Pell Grant,
and Pell Grant lifetime eligibility will be restored to students whose school closed
while they were enrolled, or where subject to a false
certification, identity theft, or a borrower defense loan discharge.
Accessibility to the FAFSA has been expanded to the top 11 languages spoken by English
learners in the U.S.- Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, French, Arabic, Korean,
Russian, German, Haitian, and Hindi.
Siblings in College
No benefit for having siblings in college: Previously, the FAFSA divided the EFC proportionally based on the number of household
members in college. The elimination of this "sibling discount" will be the biggest
change in aid eligibility for some students. The SAI will not use the number in college
as a factor in calculation of eligibility. The determination to no longer consider
number in college was made by Congress and can only be changed by Congress.
Pell Grant Eligibility
Pell Grant eligibility will be determined in three steps:
- Maximum Pell Grant – Applicants may qualify for a Maximum Pell Grant based on family size, adjusted
gross income (AGI), and poverty guidelines. Students qualifying for a Maximum Pell
Grant will have a SAI between negative $1,500 (-$,1500) and $0.
- Student Aid Index (SAI) – Applicants who do not qualify for a Maximum Pell Grant may still qualify if their
calculated SAI is less than the maximum Pell Grant award for the award year. The applicant’s
Pell Grant award for full-time enrollment will be equal to the maximum Pell Grant
for the award year minus SAI. The Pell Grant will be adjusted (prorated) if an applicant
enrolls in less than full time, or if the applicant’s Cost of Attendance (COA) is less than the calculated Pell Grant award.
- Minimum Pell Grant – Applicants whose SAI is greater than the maximum Pell Grant award for the award
year may still qualify for a Pell Grant, based on family size, AGI, and poverty guidelines.
- Non- Filers – Independent student (and spouse, if applicable) tax non-filers and dependent
children of non-filing parent(s)
- Children of certain deceased veterans and public safety officers- Students under age
33 whose parent died in the armed forces after September 11, 2001, and or students
under age 33 whose parent (s) died in the line of duty as a public safety officer
Automatic Pell Grants based on income household and size: Families making less than 175% and single parents making less than 225% of the federal poverty level will see their students receive a maximum Federal Pell Grant award. Minimum Pell Grants will be guaranteed to students from households below 275%,
325%, 350%, or 400% of the federal poverty level, depending on household structure.
Pell awards between the maximum and minimum amounts will be determined by SAI.
Once the annual Federal Pell Grant is determined, half of the award will be offered
in each semester of the award year and will be prorated by Enrollment Intensity instead
of Enrollment Levels.
| 12 (or more) |
Full-Time (100%) |
100% |
| 11 |
Three-Quarter Time (75%) |
92% |
| 10 |
83% |
| 9 |
75% |
| 8 |
Half-Time (50%) |
67% |
| 7 |
58% |
| 6 |
50% |
| 5 |
Less-Than-Half-Time (25%) |
42% |
| 4 |
33% |
| 3 |
25% |
| 2 |
17% |
| 1 |
8% |
