Written by Isaac Chapman
It’s that time of year, where seniors and early grads are filling out their FAFSA applications for free student aid. FAFSA is an acronym that stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Filling out a FAFSA application is very important for students who want to go to college. The process of filling out an application can be very long and tedious for some and quick and painless for others. Ezra Oldenkamp remarked that “it was easy, I got it done quickly.” The monetary benefits that the FAFSA gives almost make it a requirement for college.
In 1965, the Higher Education Act, or HEA, was passed by the 36th President, Lyndon Johnson. The HEA introduced the Financial Aid Form, or FAF, which helped students pay for college. But the FAF was mainly used for a few universities. In 1992, the government reworked the FAF, creating the FAFSA in its place, giving all students an equal chance. Then the FAFSA was reworked again in 2021. The Consolidated Appropriations Act shortened the application from 108 questions to 36 questions. Even so, completing the application can still take a while.