FSA continues to take steps to make it easier to complete and submit the FAFSA form. For example:
students’ prior drug convictions, as well as registration status with Selective Service, no longer affect their federal student aid eligibility; gov is even easier to navigate to get help and information, with an entirely new look and feel; and in most states, applicants only see the questions on the FAFSA form that pertain to them.
In related news, the Department released the latest federal student loan cohort default rate, which decreased (from 9.7% to 7.3%) for students who entered repayment between fiscal years 2017 and 2018 and subsequently defaulted before September 30, 2020. This new cohort default rate represents the lowest national rate since the three-year rate was first released in 2012. Schools with high default rates may lose their eligibility to participate in federal student aid programs.