Implementation of Early FAFSA

Posted by National Association for College Admission Counseling on October 16, 2017

NACAC MEMBERS DISCUSS IMPLEMENTATION OF EARLY FAFSA

As of fall 2016, current and prospective postsecondary students are able to submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as early as Oct. 1 by using income tax information from two years prior. In light of these two much-anticipated changes in applying for federal financial aid, questions remain regarding their effect, if any, on students filing for and considering financial aid packages; institutional processes for awarding aid; and the information, timeline, and services that high school college counselors and college admission professionals provide to students about the college admission process and financial aid. To learn more about the first year of implementation, the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) conducted informational interviews with 12 college counseling
and admission professionals in the summer leading up to the changes in 2016 and a second time, after the fall admission cycle, in spring 2017. This project was funded through a subgrant received from the National College Access Network (NCAN).

http://www.nacacnet.org/globalassets/documents/publications/research/earlyfafsa.pdf