When FAFSA — the yearly application students and parents fill out to determine financial aid eligibility for college — opened up in December, it came with some key updates from previous years. 

The new FAFSA now comes with just 36 questions (the old form had more than 100); allows more people to qualify for Federal Pell Grants; and replaces the Expected Family Contribution with the Student Aid Index. The SAI is a figure that a college financial aid office uses to determine the amount of federal student aid you would get if you attended that college, according to the Department of Education. 

Unlike the EFC, the SAI’s calculations won’t take into account the number of family members attending college. In the past, parents with multiple children attending college may have qualified for more financial aid. 

While the new FAFSA was intended to make applying easier, the rollout has hit some snags. People have reported glitches and award letters have been delayed, potentially coming out in late March or early April. We want to hear any FAFSA-related questions you have. Let us know what you want answered using the form below. 

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