Online FAFSA session Thursday
By My Courier-Tribune
A free, online webinar at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4 will provide students and families with an overview of the new, simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid as well as tips, deadlines and reminders for maximizing financial aid for the 2024-2025 academic year, according to a press release.
The webinar will be held via Zoom. Register at financialaid.missouri.edu/applying-for-aid.
Emily Haynam, the University of Missouri’s executive director of student financial aid, has more than a decade of experience working in higher education financial aid. To aid in understanding changes, Haynam reached out to colleague Matthew Kearney, president of the Missouri Association of Student Financial Aid Personnel. Together, they built a coalition of financial aid professionals from public and private universities and community colleges across Missouri united under two common goals: help more Missourians go to college and maximize the amount of financial aid they are eligible for, according to the release.
According to Haynam, FAFSA changes start with a new federal law.
“The FAFSA Simplification Act was created to simplify and streamline the application process, reduce barriers and increase access to financial aid by more accurately determining eligibility for federal aid. The biggest change is reducing the application length from more than 100 questions to as few as 18 for some applicants,” she said.
The 2024-25 FAFSA opened Jan. 1. Haynam said to get started, students will need to obtain a Federal Student Aid ID. Although it’s simple to create, it will take three days to process, she said.
