Columbus State promotes Financial Aid Awareness Month throughout February

Campus News | Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Efforts seek to continue increasing local, Ohio-wide prospective college student federal financial aid access, at a time of comparative national decline

To maintain and improve upward momentum in central Ohio prospective college student applications to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), Columbus State is hosting a series of informational sessions for its students, faculty and staff during February’s recognition of Financial Aid Awareness Month.

FAFSA applications, a leading indicator of college-going, are the biggest source of grant funding for college, minimizing payment out of pocket and reducing or eliminating the need to take on debt. But too often, students and their families leave free aid on the table because they don’t know how to successfully complete the process or assume they won’t be eligible for any award.

“Successful completion of the FAFSA is the first step every college-bound student should take, even if they’re not fully sure they’ll enroll in the fall,” said Deneene Merchant, Columbus State financial aid director. “Students and their families are often surprised to find out they can cover the full cost of tuition and fees at Columbus State with federal Pell grants awarded through the FAFSA process. Even a partial award is money that won’t come out of your pocket.”

“Ongoing FAFSA simplification changes make the process easier and more equitable than ever,” Merchant said. “We are taking the necessary steps to ensure our employees know about the updated processes to best support our students to maximize aid opportunities.”

Since Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act in late 2020, a lifetime limit on subsidized loan usage has already been repealed, effective during the previously allotted 2022-2023 award year. Effective for the upcoming 2023-2024 award year, applicants will no longer be asked about Selective Service registration or drug convictions. Also, effective starting 2023-2024, Pell grant lifetime eligibility will be restored to any students whose school closed while they were enrolled, or was found to have misled students, replenishing funding to facilitate degree completion.

The biggest change is yet to come: In the 2024-2025 award year, the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) will be retired and replaced with the Student Aid Index (SAI). Pell grant eligibility will no longer require dependent applicants to report parental income because IRS data will become available toward the calculation of eligibility. Back-end processes at the state and institutional levels will also have to undergo major adjustments to incorporate this change.

Unlike the modest increase in FAFSA completion of 2% for the 2022-2023 award year at the national and statewide levels, student completion at Columbus City Schools increased by nearly 40%. The increase at the state’s largest school district, presumed to be attributable to the launch of the inaugural Columbus Promise free tuition offer at Columbus State, contributed to a 6% increase in FAFSA completion among students enrolled at the college.

Merchant said she is facilitating a series of trainings for staff to explain FAFSA changes already in place and forthcoming, and also to walk through the student applicant online interface, as well as address unique student populations, including foster youth and wards of the court.

Student-facing activities planned for February and beyond are compiled at cscc.edu/services/financial-aid/fafsa-workshops.shtml. RSVPs are required to attend any session, which will enable expert guidance to complete the form.

To get started accessing and completing the FAFSA form, go to studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. To get more information about Columbus State’s FAFSA support, contact finaid@cscc.edu. Additional information is available at cscc.edu/services/financial-aid/.

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