Simple FAFSA Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the Simple FAFSA Act.

Because today FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is anything but simple.

In fact, the 108-question application can be so daunting that as many as 40 percent of students and parents simply cannot complete it.

And that means they cannot get the help they need to make college more affordable, even though we have money available for them.

In fact, $2.6 billion went unclaimed for the 2018-2019 academic year.

So, let us do something to help these students and their families.

The Simple FAFSA Act reduces the number of supporting documents and many of the questions on the current FAFSA.

Verifying income will be much easier as parents will be able to retrieve and use the previous year's income data when applying under the bill.

Low-income students and families--like many in the Marianas--just need to file the FAFSA once, as opposed to annually, to automatically qualify for a full Pell Grant and attend Northern Marianas College debt-free.

The process is even faster for families receiving a means-tested benefit, like Medicaid, who will be able to skip all financial questions on the form.

And the legislation opens FAFSA to DREAMers and students with prior drug offenses so our country can fully benefit from their potential.

By simplifying the FAFSA, we help more students and their families receive the aid they need to succeed in their education and future careers.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation to make college more accessible and affordable for all Americans.

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