Michael Reed | Staff Writer
Change is coming, and it is coming soon. I have the pleasure to report some interesting and very good news. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is making a new and very impacted change to their application. The FAFSA is a form that can be prepared annually by current and prospective college students, undergraduate and graduate alike, in the United States to determine their eligibility for student financial aid, including the Pell Grant, Federal student loans and Federal work-study.
The FAFSA is changing the way they are allowing students and their families to file for federal funds. The change will start in the 2014-2015 school year for students in order to have families of same-sex couples file, who may have children that are attending college for the first time. The Department of Education announced Monday that it will make these changes to get a more accurate picture of an applicant’s financial situation.
“All students should be able to apply for federal student aid within a system that incorporates their unique family dynamics,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said, according to a statement released by the Department Of Education. “These changes will allow us to more precisely calculate federal student aid eligibility based on what a student’s whole family is able to contribute and ensure taxpayer dollars are better targeted toward those students who have the most need, as well as provide an inclusive form that reflects the diversity of American families.”
The 2014-2015 FAFSA will include two distinct changes. Applicants will have the option of describing their legal parents’ martial status as “unmarried and both parents living together.” Additionally, the new application will use language like “Parent 1 (father/mother/stepparent)” and “Parent 2 (father/mother/stepparent),” which will allow applicants to report that they live in a same-sex household.
I think this is such a remarkable change for America because it shows how the world is becoming open and accepting of same-sex couples and families. The action will make a big impact on people and open the doors for other equal humility rights that same-sex individuals deserve in America today.
Photo by Erika Garcia
