A recent notice sent by the Florida College Access Network (FCAN) shared that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is expected to open by December 31. A November 15 announcement from the U.S. Department of Education provided information about the new FAFSA process. Future Ready Collier prioritizes college access as a key action item. Read on for more information about the redesigned FAFSA and pending details.
The U.S. Department of Education shared that the redesigned FAFSA is intended to make it easier for people to get needed financial aid. Specifically, “The new FAFSA will make it easier than ever for students to get financial aid for college and help 610,000 more students from low-income backgrounds receive Pell Grants. In total, it will allow 1.5 million more students access to the maximum Pell Grant award, bringing the total number of students eligible for the maximum Pell Grant to over 5.2 million.”
In previous years, students could complete their FAFSA for the next school year beginning on October 1. It is expected that students will have access to FAFSA for 2024-2025 school year financial assistance by December 31. More information about the specific application process is expected to be shared before then. The purpose of the redesign is to make the application process more accessible and easier.
Future Ready Collier will share details about upcoming informational sessions and supportive resources. Please feel free to send any questions to info@futurereadycollier.org and we will do our best to respond with the best information currently available. We will also be in regular contact with FCAN to learn from them how they are responding to the new FAFSA roll-out, and coordinate with our network partners throughout Southwest Florida to help students and families.