Financial aid season is right around the corner. In this blog, TxCAN shares FAFSA and TASFA updates shared by UAspire and Texas OnCourse in their most recent financial aid trainings.

Financial aid season is upon us, and we have all the updates you need to know in one place for your convenience. Below you will find the blog is divided into a FAFSA and TASFA section. Thank you to our partners UAspire and Texas OnCourse for hosting strong financial aid trainings and sharing these updates with our community. October 1st, we are ready!

 As a reminder, US Citizens, Permanent US Residents, and Eligible Noncitizen are eligible to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Otherwise, students should file Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA). Students DO NOT need to file both. If eligible, a student should file the FAFSA. If not eligible for FAFSA, TASFA is recommended. Details on TASFA eligibility are shared in the TASFA section below.

FAFSA Updates

Good news—the updates on the FAFSA are minimal this school year.

• Students and families will need their 2021 income taxes to complete the FAFSA.
• Logins now require a two-step verification. It is more important than ever that Federal Student Aid  Identification (FSA ID)  accounts have updated contact information (phone and email) for students and their families for verification purposes.
• The Selective Service (SS) questions have been completely removed from the FAFSA. FAFSA no longer requires SS registration for students to remain eligible for aid. However, per the Selective Service website, “almost all male US citizens and male immigrants, who are 18 through 25, are required to register with Selective Service.” Texas Male students must be registered to be eligible for state aid. Male students can register or check if they’ve already registered on the sss.gov website.
• The FAFSA will no longer ask questions about drug convictions. These questions have been completely removed because any prior drug conviction no longer impacts a student’s eligibility for federal aid.
• There have been additional demographic questions added regarding gender, race, and ethnicity. Students can decline to answer, but answers to these demographic questions will be used for research purposes only.

TASFA Updates

See below for the latest TASFA updates and resources shared by Texas OnCourse.

• The online Texas Application for Student Financial Aid (TASFA) will NOT be released October 1st.  Please see the latest update linked here from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).
• Students and families will need their 2021 income taxes to complete the TASFA.
•  Who is eligible to apply? Texas residents not eligible to complete the FAFSA
• The TASFA document available through the College for All Texans website is the sole, acceptable printable version of the TASFA.
• The following questions were eliminated from the TASFA this year
  • Date of graduation
  • College grade level
  • Degree/Certificate attempting
  • Number of credits enrolled
  • Associate degree for transfers
  • Conviction restrictions
  • Previously received state aid
  • Work authorization and work-study interest
• The paper TASFA 2023-24 will have a new flow and will better align with the FAFSA. For example, it will now have separate student and parent sections
• Resource Updates
  • TASFA Module on TexasOncourse
  • Financial Aid Application Process – TASFA Module
  • Guidance for Community Partners
  • For Families: Financial Aid Toolkit  (English, Spanish)

Bonus FAFSA Updates

UAspire was excited to share some details about FAFSA Simplification and stated that the 2024-2025 FAFSA is expected to have less questions. The FAFSA will go from 108 questions to 60 questions. Next year, FAFSA should also expand the use of the IRS Data retrieval tool. Parents who file separately should now be able to use the IRS Data retrieval tool. Finally, the Expected Family Contribution will be replaced by a Student Aid Index. These are all updates expected next year.

We hope these updates help you feel more prepared as we enter a new financial aid season. If you are in need of a few more refreshers, do not hesitate to look up financial aid modules available through TexasOncourse or check out this amazing checklist from UAspire to share with students.