As seniors finish applying to colleges, they move on to the next step: filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The 2026-2027 FAFSA form implements many changes, leaving seniors to navigate through it.
Annually distributing over $114 billion in federal grants, loans and work-study opportunities, FAFSA serves 61% of fall college enrollees in 2025. These types of financial aid assists students to pay for college and higher education overall. Additionally, FAFSA not only serves as financial aid for students, but also contains information that financial aid officers rely on to calculate financial aid offers provided by colleges.
“I like how fast it was,” senior Rithika Potluri said. “I was procrastinating the form for a while because I thought it would take me the whole day to fill it out, but it only took 20 minutes, which I wasn’t expecting.”
Changes include fewer questions and faster setup of the form. Online resources and school counselors guide seniors on how to fill the application out. The application needs a guardian and important financial documents to be completed. Students can list up to 20 schools on their FAFSA application that will receive FAFSA results.
“With the Trump administration, they are having it be more streamlined and connected to the Internal Revenue Services, but it’s been harder for students because the process is constantly changing,” college and career specialist Margarita Rodriguez said. “Students don’t know what to expect year to year about eligibility qualifications.”
Another change brought to the form is the replacement of the term “extended family contribution (EFC),” which means family support on paying for college, to the new term “student aid index (SAI).” The difference between the two terms is that EFC could be as low as $0, while SAI can be in the negatives, indicating a higher financial aid.
“I think students should be aware of all the changes that are happening in financial aid, whether it be FAFSA or student loans,” school counselor Shuntina Taylor said. “Students might not receive what they were anticipating to get. That’s okay, because there are still scholarships, but [students should be] aware of changes in FAFSA and the economy in general.”
Furthermore, change to the 2026-2027 FAFSA application is the eligibility criteria for the Pell Grant, which is awarded primarily to low-income students. Starting with reducing aid for families with foreign-earned income, the exclusion amount will be added to the adjusted gross income (AGI), determining Pell Grant eligibility. Applicants with SAI equal or greater than twice the maximum Pell Grant award amount will be ineligible. Additionally, students with full ride scholarships, which are scholarships that cover nearly all expenses of college, will not be eligible for the Pell Grant anymore. With the Pell Grant being the largest federal grant program, these changes will likely result in fewer students with eligibility.
“Resources and support is always available for students at school,” Rodriguez said. “The FAFSA line-by-line workshop will be held on Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. All families who have not yet completed their FAFSA are welcomed.”
