AAU joined the National College Attainment Network, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, The Institute for College Access & Success, and other national higher education associations in sending a letter to President Biden requesting that the Department of Education extend FAFSA verification waivers for the 2022-23 award year.
The letter notes that the upcoming implementation of the FAFSA Simplification Act and Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act enacted in 2019 would allow for the direct sharing of FAFSA data between ED and the IRS, thereby reducing the income verification burden on students and college financial aid offices. Until then, the letter notes, “ED should work to mitigate the burden of verification that prevents too many low-income students from receiving the aid they need to succeed in postsecondary education.”
“Given alarming college enrollment declines – especially among students of color, low-income students, and first-generation students – we urge the Administration to act quickly to reduce the burden that students are facing in accessing financial aid,” the letter stated.