Confusing questions Though the new FAFSA is generally more straightforward than in years past, borrowers have reported that several questions are confusing or unclear. Here are two to watch out for: Free lunch question This has proved confusing, since some school districts introduced universal free and reduced lunch programs for all students, regardless of their family’s financial situation, during the pandemic. Under the federal benefits question — At any time during 2022 or 2023, did the student or anyone in their family receive benefits from any of the following federal programs? — “free or reduced-price school lunch” is an option. Students should only indicate that they received free or reduced lunch if they meet U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) income eligibility guidelines, according to a Jan. 12 blog post from the National College Attainment Network. This is a reversal from previous FAFSA guidance, which advised any student covered by a universal free or reduced lunch program to say “yes” to this question. Dependency question Some students have reported confusion about this new question used to establish dependency: Are the student’s parents unwilling to provide their information, but the student doesn’t have an unusual circumstance that prevents them from contacting or obtaining their parents’ information? If a student selects “yes” — that they don’t want to provide parent information — then, the parent can’t fill out their section of the FAFSA, Vanden Berge says. This would disqualify a student from most federal financial aid, apart from direct unsubsidized loans, meaning they can’t access grants, work-study or subsidized loans, which don’t accrue interest while they’re in school.
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If you do make a mistake, remember that you can request a correction once your form is processed.
The article Dealing With FAFSA Glitches and Confusion? Here’s What You Can Do was written for NerdWallet on February 23, 2024.
ELIZA HAVERSTOCK is a writer at NerdWallet.
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