The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is releasing a phone-friendly app that allow students and families applying for college to fill out their forms with a faster method, effective Oct. 1.
According to a September 2018 article in The New York Times, a test app is out right now. The University will have access to see if the program will benefit families.
The FAFSA form has been available online for years; however, a desktop computer is needed to fill it out.
According to The New York Times the Education Department introduced the mobile-friendly website this summer that automatically adjusts to fit on phones and tablets.
Created to see if the finished app will work well, myStudentAid app is a test version for students and families to use. In an article by The New York Times, Kim Cook, executive director of the National College Access Network, said the app is getting good marks.
Betsy Johnson, the University’s director of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships, disagreed.
“They’re still working through some kinks with the FAFSA app, based on what I’ve seen. There’s still some concerns,” Johnson said.
Johnson added there is confusion about the logistics of students and parents signing in at the same time. She thinks, though, if they get through these kinks, it can turn into a good thing.
One issue that surfaced was the app does not yet allow automatic transfer of financial aid information from the Internal Revenue Services, The New York Times reported. This means students and families must use the original way and not the test app for that function.
However, one part that does not change is the amount of questions FAFSA asks.
“The number of questions is the same, whether you use the app or the FAFSA on the web. It is not a different application,” Johnson said.
The FAFSA app can also show one question on the screen at a time. According to The New York Times this “makes the form less intimidating.”
“As a student, you’re going to constantly be swiping … which is not that big of a deal since you’re used to swiping down and seeing stories and reading,” Johnson said.
She also believes this question system is something FAFSA needs to fix because students still will not be able to fill out the forms on their own, even though FAFSA is using one question per page to draw a student in.
Kelsey Rodriguez, a physical and health education senior, does nott see this as a problem.
“From a student’s perspective, this form will be more simple. Parents may feel wary about it, but if the app presents well, then it can be a good thing. And in high school, you don’t learn how to ‘adult,’ and this app could help parents walk their kids through it,” Rodriguez said.
If the University chooses to pursue the app, they have a choice to promote it.
“During SOAR (Student Orientation, Advising and Registration) and on tours would be a good time to have sessions,” Rodriguez said.
SOAR is when incoming students and their parents come to campus to fill out forms and receive their class schedules and student IDs.
Dean of Students Chris Bullins supports this app and is ready to do what he can to make sure students are ready to use it.
“I think it would make sense to partner with our Student Financial Aid office, who have to live and breathe this every day, and put on a workshop. At the end of the day, we want to remove barriers to student success,” Bullins said.