Memo

U.S. Department of Education

Agency Information Collection: 2021-22 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

AGENCY: Department of Education (ED), Federal Student Aid (FSA).

OMB Control Number: 1845-0001

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SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is submitting a simple change request to the existing information collection for the following changes outlined in this memo. The Department has assessed the upcoming changes and believe based on previously executed change requests to the information collection that these changes fall under that guise.

None of the updates below require additional information from the filer and are being implemented to assist the filer with providing accurate information to reduce the need for corrections and those attendant delays in eligibility determinations.

1. Annual FAFSA updates

The department will increment year references to the tax year, tax line references, state deadlines, other activities needed to allow for processing of the 2021-22 FAFSA cycle.

2. Instructions for Schedule 1 Question

During the 2020-21 FAFSA 60-day and 30-day public comment periods, the department received several requests to include the remaining Schedule 1 exceptions in the question instructions along with the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend reference. The department is updating the 2021-22 instructions for the Schedule 1 question to accommodate the public’s request by including of the schedule 1 exceptions in the instructions.

3. Interactive help topic - “Who is my parent?”

The Department is augmenting the “Who is my parent” help topic to be an interactive skip logic/decision tree that uses the same information as is presented on the paper version of the FAFSA form. The filer is not required to use this feature. None of the information provided in the interactive help process is retained and the use of the interactive help is not required to complete the form. The department has assessed that this interactivity will aid applicants in completing the FAFSA correctly and minimize the number of corrections that otherwise may be required to obtain the correct information on the form to assess the applicants eligibility for title IV aid. 

4. Continuation of mobile responsive design

The existing fafsa.gov (website) correction component is being modernized to be mobile responsive. This change will be not be implemented at the start of the new cycle but will be implemented mid-cycle spring 2021. By having a flexible web portal that automatically adjusts view settings to meet the requirements of the accessing device, users can more efficiently access specific areas of the web pages. This enhancement allows those who choose to correct their FAFSA using non-computer devices to have a better experience.

5. Corrections in myStudentAid Mobile app-FAFSA feature

Students and Parents can complete the FAFSA form using the myStudentAid app. The myStudentAid app is available for download from the Apple App Store (iOS) or the Google Play store (Android). The Department continues to make improvements to the application experience and have assessed that by providing an additional modality for applicants to submit corrections accomplishes that objective. This change will be not be implemented at the start of the new cycle but will be implemented mid-cycle spring 2021. This request does not add questions or other requirements to the FAFSA. It is another option for submitting corrections to the FAFSA form. This inclusion improves the design views to deliver a more seamless customer experience for mobile applicants.

The aggregate respondent numbers and burden hours for these updates will remain unchanged under OMB Control Number 1845-0001.