Washington Update

FAFSA Updates 

U.S. Department of Education (ED) Launches Next Phase of FAFSA Support Strategy to Boost Completion Rate Among High School Students 

• In an electronic announcement on May 6, ED announced additional steps to support students and families as a part of a broader effort to increase the FAFSA completion rate. Per ED, the recently launched FAFSA Student Support Strategy will allocate funds to “help school districts, state, nonprofits, and other public and private organizations with efforts to boost FAFSA completion.” The funds will be used to support advisors, counselors, and others involved in student support, and to facilitate FAFSA submission clinics through partnerships with school districts.  

U.S. Department of Education Announces FAFSA Update for Contributors without Social Security Numbers  

• In an electronic announcement on April 30, ED announced changes to simplify the FAFSA application process for eligible citizen and resident students who have a parent or spouse without a Social Security number. Per ED, the changes are expected to simplify the process for noncitizen family members to enter required income data to determine the financial need of eligible students. 

APLU understands the tremendous challenges the difficult FAFSA rollout has created for students, their families, and institutions. The association is in regular contact with ED and continues to push for an expedient resolution to challenges while underscoring concerns from member institutions. APLU members can follow the latest updates and resources on FAFSA at the Federal Student Aid website here.    

APLU Endorses Bipartisan Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act 

APLU endorsed the bipartisan Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act. The bill would restore the family farm and small business asset exemptions from the need analysis formula that determines a student’s financial aid eligibility.  

In the past, when a student living on a family farm or with a family-owned small business completed the FAFSA to apply for federal student aid, they were able to shield these assets from consideration in the federal student aid need analysis formula. The FAFSA Simplification Act of 2020 expanded federal student aid eligibility broadly, which is expected to result in more students qualifying for both Pell Grants and the maximum award. However, to pay for this expansion, among other changes, the 2020 law required that families’ farms and small business assets be included in need analysis, beginning in the 2024-25 award year. APLU has heard from institutions with large rural populations about the financial hardship this change will bring to students from farm families. 

House Passes Antisemitism Awareness Act, Possible Action in the Senate 

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Antisemitism Awareness Act on May 1. The legislation would require the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to “take into consideration” the definition and contemporary examples of antisemitism adopted on May 26, 2016, by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance when “reviewing, investigating, or deciding” on a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.  

The definition has both proponents and opponents, though the measure passed with a vote of 321-90. In general, proponents argue the definition and examples are helpful to identify antisemitism, while opponents express concern the definition and examples are overly broad and threaten free speech. Ultimately, the legislation largely reinforces existing policy. It is consistent with an existing Executive Order on combatting antisemitism which references the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition and only requires “consideration” by ED. Action on the bill in the Senate is possible.  

Biden Administration Releases Guidance on Antisemitism and Title VI Enforcement 

On Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Biden administration announced additional steps to combat antisemitism, building on the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. Of most relevance to institutions of higher education, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued new guidance in a Dear Colleague Letter. The guidance to school districts and colleges and universities provides examples of antisemitism and other forms of hate that could give rise to Title VI violations.