Even when the federal government tries to streamline financial aid, things wind up becoming more complicated. The FAFSA Simplification Act, scheduled to go into effect this year, will cut the number of questions on the notoriously difficult application for federal aid—which is also used in calculations for state and institutional awards—from 108 to 36 for most students. But the complexity of enacting the changes for an underfunded, overburdened Department of Education means that the release date for the new form has been pushed to December 1 from the beginning of October.
The consequences for students and their families could be serious. Applicants who would normally have three or four months to file their paperwork will now have six weeks. Two of these weeks are likely to fall during winter breaks, during which students who don’t have support at home will lose access to guidance counselors and others who could help them. High school seniors could lose out on thousands of dollars as a result.
Two states, Minnesota and Texas, have moved their financial aid deadlines backwards to give students more time. However, the vast majority have not. But now, one school is taking matters into its own hands. Assumption University, a small Catholic college in Worcester, Massachusetts, has announced plans to tell prospective students how much institutional aid they qualify for within two weeks of the submission of their applications.
The Assumption University campus, in Worcester, Massachusetts
In order to determine the awards, which will be both merit and need-based, Assumption has designed its own questionnaire that is even simpler than the new FAFSA. After families fill out the 24-question form (eight questions for students, 16 for parents), Assumption will use the government’s Student Aid Index formula to calculate the amount for which applicants will be responsible. Based on this, Assumption will then send out an offer of aid, as early as October, guaranteed so long as the information on the form is accurate. Assumption estimates that the average award will total $35,000.
“It’s not as complex and difficult as we thought it might be,” said William Boffi, vice president for Enrollment Management at Assumption. “It makes me wonder why we hadn’t considered doing this sooner.”
Boffi and Weiner said that they were not aware of any other schools that had decided to address the FAFSA delay by giving applicants award packages upfront. Boffi was unsure as to why other schools hadn’t tried it. He speculated that it might have seemed to be an overwhelming challenge, based on the complexity of the previous FAFSA, with its hundred-plus questions. However, he said that Assumption has found it to be unnecessary.
