The Federal Application for Federal Student Aid is making changes for the 2024-25 school year. The form for that year will not be accessible until December, a later date than usual.

The application, which usually has 108 questions, is being shortened to only 36 questions. Additionally, there will also be changes to who is applicable for aid and how much aid will be allotted. 

“It is going to be significantly different,”Alabama Commission on Higher Education Executive Director Jim Purcell said at a board meeting. “The new formula emphasizes wealth instead of cash flow.”

With the new application, family farms and businesses will be included in the aid amount. There will be less aid allotted for those who only had income considered before. The number of children a family has enrolled in a college or university no longer factors into aid amounts, either.

FAFSA is used for many outside loan and aid calculations, not just federal aid, so the application may help those who do not qualify for federal aid. 

The form is also being opened to those who were not allowed to fill it out before, or who had roadblocks preventing more aid.

“Lower-income students will be eligible for more aid and funding,” Purcell said. “Incarcerated students and students who have been convicted of drug offenses can now be eligible.”

In 2021, the Alabama Board of Education required graduating high school seniors to fill out FAFSA. Parents can opt out of the application, so the requirement is never fully met, but the percentage of students who filled out the form increased.